'•'  I 

•  \  I 


LIFE    QUESTIONS 

OF 

SCHOOL  BOYS 


BY  JEREMIAH  W.  JENKS,  PH.D.,  LL.D. 

Professor  of  Economics  and  Politics, 
Cornell  University 


ASSOCIATION  PRESS 

NEW  YORK:    124   EAST   28-m   STREET 

LONDON:  47  PATERNOSTER  Row,  E.  C. 

1913 


Copyright  1C08  by 
The  International  Committee 

of 
Young  Men's  Christian  Associations 


Copyright.  1910,  by 
The   International   Committee 

of 
Toung  Men's  Christian  Associations 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CA  T  TFORNiA 
SANTA    BARBARA 


CONTENTS 

Introduction    7 

I.  Relation  of  the  School  to  Life      .  13 

II.  Custom :   Habit 23 

III.  Societies :   Cliques :  Fraternities ...  33 

IV.  Intoxicating  Liquors  and  Tobacco  41 

V.  Profanity  and  Slang 51 

VI.  ^  Lying    59 

VII.  Cheating  and  Graft 67 

VIII.  Gambling   and  Betting 75 

IX.  The  Sex  Problem 83 

X.  Attitude  Toward  Work 91 

XL        The  Self-Centered  Man 99 

XII.  Social  Service  in  the  Community  .  .  109 

XIII.  Politics   119 

XIV.  Success   127 

XV.  Religion   .  135 


BOOKS  OF  REFERENCE 

Emerson,  Ralph  Waldo:     Essays. 

Bacon,  Lord  of  Verulam :     Essays. 

Bible. 

Mathews,  William :     Getting  On  in  the  World. 

Smiles,  Samuel:     Self-Help. 

Smiles,  Samuel:     Character. 

Smiles,  Samuel:     Duty. 

Lowell,  James  Russell:     Essays. 


INTRODUCTION 

1.  These   brief  outlines  of   discussions   have  been 
prepared   at   the   request   of   Mr.    David    R.    Porter, 
secretary  in  charge  of  the  work  in  preparatory  and 
high  schools  of  the   International   Committee  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Associations,  and  to  Mr.  Por- 
ter I   owe  many  valuable  suggestions.      The  method 
of  treatment,  as  well  as  the  topics  themselves,  have 
been  the  outcome  of  experiences  as  a  boy,  as  a  teacher, 
as   a   father.      At   the    age    when   most   boys    are    in 
the  preparatory  and  high  schools  these  great  funda- 
mental moral  questions  must  come  before  them.     They 
will  be  thought  of;  they  will  be  answered.     It  is  of 
vital  importance  that  they  be  answered  wisely. 

2.  Sometimes  parents  and  teachers  have  thought  it 
best  to  impose  upon  young  men  their  opinions,  and 
to  attempt  to  compel  them  to  form  right  habits  under 
the  pressure  of  authority;   but   an   action  compelled 
has,   relatively   speaking,   little   educative    force.      At 
times   these   questions   are   ignored,   it  being  thought 
that  as  the  result  of  experience  and  of  the  best  pub- 
lic   opinion    the    right    answers    will    eventually    be 
found.      In  very  many   cases   this   is   doubtless   true, 
but  very  generally  at  a  great  waste  of  energy  and 
often  thru  many  sad,  if  not  seriously  demoralizing, 
experiences.     The  only  safe  way,  and  even  that  will 
not   always   be    found    effective,    is    for   the   boys    to 
think    thru   these   questions    for    themselves.      When, 
as    the    result    of    deliberate    consideration,    possibly 
given  under  suggestive  guidance,  a  boy  is  once  con- 
vinced as  to  what  is  right  and  wise  and  determines 


INTRODUCTION 

that  lie  will  follow  wisdom  and  righteousness,  there 
need  be  little  fear  fcr  him  thereafter.  In  this  course; 
as  far  as  possible,  the  attempt  has  been  made  to  fol- 
low out  this  last  plan,  and  to  guide  the  boys  in  the 
way  of  independent,  wise  thinking. 

3.  Not  much  reading  has  been  suggested.     In  addi- 
tion to  their  school  work  not  much  reading  can  be 
expected  of  boys.     A  little  from  the  Bible,  a  little 
from    two    or    three    thoughtful,    interesting    writers, 
especially    Emerson    and    Bacon,   who    are   likely   to 
stimulate   independent   thinking   instead   of   attempt- 
ing to  impose  their  views,  have  been  considered  suf- 
ficient.    On  special  topics  where  technical  knowledge 
is  required,  the  selection  of  reading  has  been  left  to 
the   discretion   of  the  leader   of  the   group  of  boys, 
who    knows    his    men    and    their    local    environment 
and  who  can  best  judge  just  what  should  be  done. 

4,  These  questions  are  not  primarily  religious.     In 
none    of    our    states    is    the    teaching   of    religion    in 
schools    formally    recognized.      It   is    sometimes    for- 
bidden,  and   no   effort   should  be  made   to   bring   in 
surreptitiously   topics    that   are   openly   by   law    for- 
bidden.    On  the  other  hand  it  must  be  recognized, 
as  we  do  recognize  in  most  of  our  state  constitutions, 
that  religion,   and   especially   the    Christian   religion, 
is  the  foundation  of  most  that  is  best  in  our  morals 
and   in   our  social  life  to-day,   and  that  the  life   of 
Jesus  has  affected  profoundly  the  views  of  western 
civilization.      Here   and  there  this   fact  will   appear 
naturally  in  the  lessons.     It  is  well  to  have  the  boys 
find    an    application    of    the    principles    which    they 
think  out,  in  the  lives  and  works  of  not  merely  great 
religious  teachers,  but  also  of  the  great  men  in  the 
fields  of  business  and  politics. 

8 


INTRODUCTION 

5.  Unless  some  care  is  taken  by  the  teacher,  the 
boys    may    discuss    these    questions    at    considerable 
length   and   perhaps    even   receive   many   stimulating 
ideas  without  taking  the  trouble  to  formulate  definite- 
ly their  own  views.     Moreover,  unless  some  thought  is 
given  to  the  work  by  the  leader,  the  topics  may  be 
d'scussed  thoroly  perhaps  for  an  hour,  but  then  will 
be  dropped  from  the  minds  of  the  boys.    It  will  prob- 
ably be  best,  therefore,  for  the  leader  near  the  close 
of  the  day's  discussion  to  take  up  the  subject  that 
will  follow  at  the  next  meeting,  outline  it  briefly,  ask 
suggestive  questions,  and  assign  more  or  less  formally 
to  different  members  of  the  group  some  of  the  topics 
in  the  discussion  of  which  they  will  be  expected  to 
take  the  lead  at  the  next  meeting.     In  this  way  some 
phase  of  the  subject  will  lie  in  the  boy's  mind  for  a 
week,  and  he  will  have  an  opportunity,  if  he  wishes, 
to  talk  it  over  with  his  friends  and  relatives,  to  read 
about  it,  and  somewhat  definitely  to  formulate  his  own 
opinions. 

6.  In  order  to  secure  precision  in  thinking  and  to 
preserve  a  record  of  the  suggestive  thoughts  of  others, 
blank  leaves  are  inserted,  so  that  the  boys  may  put 
down  their  thoughts   systematically  while  preparing 
for  or  at  the  time  of  the  discussions.    Such  books,  laid 
away  perhaps  for  a  period  of  years,  will  often  prove 
suggestive,  fruitful  and  helpful  in  later  life. 

7.  It  is  of  prime  importance  that  the  leader  of  the 
group  stand  well  in  the  confidence  of  the  boys  with 
whom   he  is   working.      These  questions  are   all   life 
questions.     They  all  touch  boys  closely.     They  will 
talk  them  over  among  themselves  at  any  rate.     It  is 
much   better    if    the    teacher    can    get    them    to    talk 
them  over  freely  with  him.    He  should  not  attempt  to 

9 


INTRODUCTION 

force  his  own  opinions  upon  the  boys.  He  should 
even,  as  far  as  possible,  concede  to  the  boys  the 
strength  of  their  arguments  when  they  differ  from 
him.  On  few  of  the  questions  under  discussion  is 
there  an  absolute  right  or  an  absolute  wrong;  and 
of  greater  importance  than  a  conclusion  that  seems 
to  him  right,  is  the  acquirement  by  himself  as  well 
as  by  the  boys  of  a  tolerant  spirit.  The  man  who 
can  secure  the  hearty  good-will  and  liking  of  the 
boys  and  their  belief  in  his  fairmindedness  as  well 
as  in  his  goodness  of  heart,  has  secured  a  hold  that  in 
the  long  run  will  be  worth  far  more  than  the  inculca- 
tion of  any  opinion. 


10 


LIFE    QUESTIONS 

OF 

SCHOOL  BOYS 

JEREMIAH  W.  JENKS 


RELATION  OF  THE  SCHOOL  TO 
LIFE 


"A  boy  is  better  unborn  than  untaught."  EMER- 
SON. 

"Provided  always  the  boy  is  teachable  (for  we  are 
not  proposing  to  make  a  statue  out  of  punk),  foot- 
ball, cricket,  archery,  swimming,  skating,  climbing, 
fencing,  riding,  are  lessons  in  the  art  of  power,  which 
it  is  his  main  business  to  learn."  EMERSON. 

"He  that  refuseth  instruction  despiseth  his  own 
soul;  but  he  that  heareth  reproof  getteth  understand- 
ing." PROVERBS,  15:32. 

"Apply  thine  heart  unto  instruction,  and  thine  ears 
to  the  words  of  knowledge."  PROVERBS,  23:12. 

REFERENCES 

Emerson :     Culture. 
Mathews:     Chap.  5. 
Bacon:     Of  Youth  and  Age. 
Matthew,  25, 


RELATION  OF  THE  SCHOOL  TO 
LIFE 

1.  The  opportunities  for  securing  a  good  posi- 
tion in  business  with   a  manufacturer,  merchant, 
lawyer,  doctor,  farmer,  increase  with  the  training 
of  the  applicant.     Most  business  men  require  let- 
ters of  recommendation  from  teachers,  former  em- 
ployers, or  others,  who  know  regarding  training 
and  experience. 

In  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  at  Philadel- 
phia, for  example,  apprentices  are  classified  in 
three  groups:  those  who  have  had  a  college 
training ;  those  who  have  had  a  high  school  train- 
ing; those  who  have  had  neither:  and  the  wages 
and  the  opportunities  for  advancement  depend 
upon  this  training. 

2.  The  chances  of  success  in  business  increase 
with   the   training,    altho,   of   course,   in   lines    of 
business  in  which  much  book-learning  is  not  re- 
quired, the  training  and  discipline  is  rather  that 
of  experience.    Mr.  Carnegie  and  Mr.  Schwab,  for 
example,  were  very  successful  as  steel  manufactur- 
ers, altho  neither  had  a  college  training.     Both, 
however,   are  men    of   extraordinary   ability   who 
have  since  acquired  much  literary  skill  from  wide 
reading  and  practice.     ]t  will  be  found  usually 
that  the  proportion  of  college  men  who  have  made 
a  great  success  in  business  is  far  beyond  their  pro- 
portion in  the  community  at  large. 

15 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

Business  men  without  school  training  find  them- 
selves greatly  hampered.  I  have  known  skilled 
civil  engineers  to  hire  high  school  boys  to  correct 
their  English  in  preparing  bids  for  contracts,  and 
a  successful  merchant  to  ask  a  college  professor  to 
write  him  out  a  speech  to  be  delivered  before  a 
grocers'  association. 

3.  The  ease  and  success  of  work  in  college  is 
largely  a  matter  of  good  preparation.     A  stu- 
dent's first  term  in  college  usually  fixes  his  status 
thruout  his  course,  altho  the  ablest  men,  if  ham- 
pered by  poor  preparation,  may  in  the  course  of 
time  overcome  the  disadvantage. 

4.  Note  the  men  in  your  home  community  who 
have  the  greatest  influence  and  the  most  respected 
positions  and  see  how  many  of  them  are  men  of 
education.      Is   not    the    proportion    of    educated 
men  of  influence  far  above  that  of  the  uneducated, 
compared  with  their  relative  numbers  in  the  com- 
munity ? 

Be  careful,  however,  not  to  over-estimate  the 
value  of  school  education.  What  is  the  source  of 
influence  in  the  community  of  the  strong  men  of 
little  school  education?  Is  it  wealth?  Is  it  high 
character?  Is  it  a  helpful  spirit? 

5.  Our  enjoyment  of  life  comes   largely   from 
the  gratification  of  our  tastes.     A  man  who  has  a 
taste  for  literature,  or  music,  or  art,  or  science, 
has  a  source  of  enjoyment  that  others  lack.     His 
life  is  so  much  the  richer. 

Why    does   not   a   taste    for    strong   drink,    a 

16 


RELATION  OF  THE  SCHOOL  TO  LIFE 

source  of  enjoyment  unknown  to  those  who  lack 
it,  have  the  same  good  effect?  -If  a  pleasure  short- 
ens life  or  brings  after  it  troubles  and  sorrows 
that  in  the  long  run  more  than  counterbalance 
the  enjoyment,  is  it  wise  to  take  that  pleasure? 

Is  it  wise  to  make  one's  life  richer  and  better 
by  cultivating  tastes  of  a  higher  type  that  give 
enjoyment  without  evil  results?  What  tastes? 

6.  The  period  of  youth  is  often  spoken  of  as  the 
time  of  happiness.      But  is  this   right?     As  one 
grows  older,  if  his  life  has  been  right,  he  usually 
acquires  some  wealth,  more  influence,  more  power. 
Does  he  not  also  gain  added  enjoyment? 

Ought  not  the  last  ten  years  of  life  to  be  the 
richest  and  best  in  experience,  and  in  enjoyment? 

7.  The  experiences   of  later  life,  however,  de- 
pend, of  necessity,  largely  upon  health,  and  char- 
acter, and  position- — all   of  which  are  dependent 
largely,   if  not   primarily,   upon   the   habits    and 
training  of  youth,  and  upon  the  associations  made 
then.     The  feeling  that  some  boys  have  that  they 
will  be  good  later,  will  join  a  church  when  old, 
and  will   be   reckless   in   youth,   comes   from   mis- 
taken views  as  to  the  real  nature  of  the  enjoy- 
ments  of   a   good   life   and   of   the   likelihood   of 
changes  of  habit  in  later  life.     "As  the  twig  is 
bent  the  tree  is  inclined." 

Is  not,  therefore,  the  school  age  perhaps  the 
period  of  greatest  importance  in  life,  tho  not 
the  one  that  marks  the  culmination  of  either  in- 
fluence or  enjoyment? 

17 


18 


XftTSI 


NOTES 


20 


NOTES 


II 

CUSTOM :     HABIT 


"We  pray  to  be  conventional.  But  the  wary  Hea- 
ven takes  care  that  we  shall  not  be,  if  there  is  any- 
thing good  in  you."  EMERSON. 

"Since  custom  is  the  principal  magistrate  of  man's 
life,  let  men  by  all  means  endeavor  to  obtain  good 
customs."  BACON. 

"Custom  is  most  perfect  when  it  beginneth  in 
young  years."  BACON. 

"If  a  man  on  the  Sabbath  day  receive  circumcision, 
that  the  law  of  Moses  should  not  be  broken;  are  ye 
amazed  at  me,  because  I  have  made  a  man  every 
whit  whole  on  the  Sabbath  day?" 

"Judge  ye  not  according  to  appearance,  but  judge 
righteous  judgment."  JOHN,  7:23,  24. 

"And  he  said  unto  them,  Full  well  ye  reject  the 
commandment  of  God,  that  ye  may  keep  your  own 
traditions."  MARK,  7:9- 

REFERENCES 

Smiles:     Character.     Chap.  3. 
Emerson:  Manners. 
Bacon:  Of  Custom  and  Education. 
Ecclesiastes,  1 :2. 


II 

CUSTOM:     HABIT 

1.  Far  more  than  we  realize  we  are  creatures 
of  custom.     The  style  of  our  clothing,  the  type 
of  our  houses,  our  focd,  our  amusements,  our  kind 
of  education,  cur  religion,  are  taken  by  most  of 
us  from  the  customs  of  our  time  and  country. 

Many  customs  and  styles  had  a  use  and  meaning 
originally  which  now  have  been  lost. 

Why  does  a  Prince  Albert  coat  have  buttons 
on  the  back? 

Why  do  tailors  usually  put  a  notch  in  the  collar 
of  the  coat? 

Why  are  most  people  in  Italy  Roman  Catho- 
lics;  in  England  Protestants?  Is  the  difference 
one  of  character? 

2.  There  are  certain  advantages  usually  found 
in  following  the  customs  of  our  fellows : 

(a)  Probably  the  customs  are,  or  at  any  rate 
have  been,  wise — the   result   of  experience.      For 
example,  our  houses  and  clothing  are  adapted  to 
our  climate  and  to  the  season  of  the  year.     The 
food  which  we  customarily  use  is,  probably,  under 
most  circumstances,  healthful. 

(b)  If  one  does  not  follow  the  usual  style  he  is 
looked  upon  as  odd.     He  will  be  ridiculed.     The 
city  boy  is  likely  to  laugh  at  the  country  boy  as 
boorish  and  uncultivated.    The  fact  is,  the  customs 
of  the  country  boy  are  just  as  good  and  just  as 
sensible,  but  they  are  different.     If  the  city  boy 

25 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

goes  to  the  country  and  attempts  to  play  the 
part  of  a  country  boy,  he  is  equally  ridiculous. 
I  may  laugh  at  a  Chinaman  because  he  is  awkward 
in  using  his  fork  and  knife  at  table;  the  China- 
man would  probably  be  too  courteous  to  laugh 
at  me  because  I  could  not  use  chopsticks. 

(c)  Our  social  customs,  of  whatever  kind,  are 
likely  to  prevent  misunderstandings,  and  hence 
avoid  difficulties.  The  position  of  the  young  man 
and  woman  when  waltzing  is  proper,  only  because 
customary.  Otherwise,  would  it  be  misunder- 
stood ? 

3.  Owing  to  our  lack  of  personal  independence 
we  often  follow  customs  to  an  unwise  extent : 

(a)  Americans   in   tropical  climates  at   times 
wear  heavy  black  coats  and  stiff  shirts ;  likewise 
they  retain  the  food  and  habits  of  a  colder  c]i- 
mate.     Many  people,  from  pride,  follow  wedding 
customs,    funeral   customs,    and   other   ceremonies 
at  great  cost  and  even  injury  to  their  families, 
because  they  are  too  cowardly  not  to  follow  cus- 
tom. 

(b)  In  many  instances  custom  prevents  bene- 
ficial action  and  even  progress.     Because  a  man 
has  not   a  customary  evening  suit,   he  refuses   a 
desirable  invitation.    Because  a  low  mark  in  school 
has  become  fashionable,  thru  the  influence  of  some 
careless,  tho  perhaps  strong  boys,  poor  work  is 
deliberately    done.      The   custom   of   keeping    the 
Sabbath  among  the  ancient  Jews  was  so  rigidly 
fixed  that  it  took  the  wonderful  originality  and 

26 


CUSTOM  :   HABIT 

independence  of  spirit  of  Jesus  Christ  even   "to 
do  good  on  the  Sabbath  day." 

(c)  Much  of  our  business  and  politics  is  car- 
ried on  in  ways  that  are  customary,  but  not  the 
best.     Only  the  original  man  in  business,  if  he  is 
also  sensible,  is  the  man  who  makes  a  great  suc- 
cess ;  the  common  man  makes  a  bare  living  or  fails. 

The  large  majority  of  voters  follow  their  party 
without  thought ;  this  mental  laziness  is  indirectly 
the  source  of  much  political  corruption. 

(d)  Many  people  are  too  cowardly  even  to  do 
right,  if  that  involves  a  break  with  custom.     Do 
the  majority   of  school  boys  learn  to   smoke,   or 
swear,    or   drink,    because    these   things   are   nat- 
ural, or  because  the  boys  have  not  the  independ- 
ence of  character  to  defy  custom  ? 

4.  We  are  so  constituted  that  by  repetition  an 
action  becomes  a  habit,  and  that  is  an  important 
matter  for  either  good  or  evil. 

(a)  Habit  has  the  very  great  advantage  of 
increasing   skill   and  saving   energy.      It   is   only 
thru  habit  that  we  can  read  without  spelling  out 
words ;  that  a  ball  player  gets  his  wonderful  skill 
so  that  he  judges  the  position  of  a  ball  to  a  frac- 
tion of  an  inch  or  a  hundredth  of  a  second.    Thru 
habit  only  can  a  person  become  accurate  in  the 
use  of  figures  or  in  reasoning.     Success  in  every 
line,  physical,  or  mental,  or  even  moral,  is  largely 
dependent  upon  habit. 

(b)  The  disadvantage  lies  in  the  difficulty  of 
breaking  a  bad  habit.     This  can  usually  best  be 

27 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

done  by  substituting  a  good  one.  A  great  stride 
forward  is  made  toward  success  in  any  line  when 
we  deliberately  make  ourselves  create  good  habits 
and  break  bad  ones.  There  could  be  no  better 
exercise  for  a  club  than  for  each  member  to  try 
to  break  off  some  habit,  even  tho  it  be  so  slight  a 
thing  as  the  use  of  a  favorite  slang  word,  and  to 
create  some  good  habit,  even  tho  it  be  so  slight  a 
thing  as  to  get  to  breakfast  on  time.  The  ex- 
periences along  both  lines  would  serve  to  empha- 
size both  the  difficulty  of  breaking  a  habit,  and 
the  importance,  and  perhaps  even  the  ease,  of  ac- 
quiring a  habit. 

(c)  There  is  perhaps  no  greater  fault  in  stu- 
dents than  the  lack  of  concentration  of  attention 
and  energy — the  habit  of  letting  one's  attention 
be  diverted  by  little  things  from  the  work  in  hand. 
In  order  to  get  the  control  desirable  to  make  a 
habit  at  will,  one  should  practice  concentration 
or  attention  upon  the  thing  in  hand,  whether 
work  or  play.  A  very  able  student  fixed  the 
number  of  minutes  to  be  assigned  to  preparing 
each  lesson,  in  order  that  during  these  few  min- 
utes, under  pressure  of  necessity,  the  habit  of 
concentration  might  be  formed.  It  is  useful  to 
practice  studying  in  the  midst  of  a  hubbub  in 
order  to  force  on  oneself  the  power  of  concentra- 
tion. Concentration  of  attention  and  will  is  the 
key  to  the  control  of  habit. 


28 


NOTES 


N  OTE8 


30 


NOTES 


Ill 

SOCIETIES:     CLIQUES:     FRATERNITIES 


It;  is  always  a  practical  difficulty  with  Clubs  to 
regulate  the  laws  of  selection  so  as  to  exclude  per- 
emptorily every  social  nuisance."  EMERSON. 

"it  is  possible  that  the  best  conversation  is  be- 
tween two  persons  who  can  talk  only  to  each  other." 
EMERSON. 

Jesus  spent  his  life  in  discoursing  with  humble 
people  on  life  and  duty,  in  giving  wise  answers, 
showing  that  he  saw  at  a  large  angle  of  vision, 
and  at  least  silencing  those  who  were  not  generous 
enough  to  accept  his  thought."  EMERSON. 

I  find  out  in  an  instant  if  my  companion  does 
not  want  me,  and  ropes  cannot  hold  me  when  my 
welcome  is  gone."  EMERSON. 

Society  we  must  have ;  but  let  it  be  society,  and 
not  exchanging  news,  or  eating  from  the  same  dish." 
EMERSON. 

"Every  man  brings  into  society  some  partial 
thought  and  local  culture.  We  need  range  and  al- 
ternation of  topics. ' ' 

It  is  a  mere  and  miserable  solitude  to  want  true 
friends,  without  which  the  world  is  but  a  wilderness. ' ' 
BACON. 

REFERENCES 
Emerson :  Clubs. 
Bacon :  Of  Counsel. 
Proverbs,  4. 

84 


Ill 

SOCIETIES :     CLIQUES :     FRATERNITIES 

1.  The  desire  to  be  with  congenial  people  leads 
naturally   to  the   formation   of  either  formal  or 
informal  groups,  or  classes,  or  cliques,  or  socie- 
ties.  This  is  found  everywhere,  in  clubs,  churches, 
business   organizations.     In   the  period   of  school 
life,   however,    such   grouping   needs    to   be    care- 
fully   studied,    for    it    has    in    it    much    that    is 
evil  as  well  as  much  that  is  good. 

2.  There  arc  great  advantages  in  this  group- 
ing  of  people,   whether   it   comes    about  without 
effort,  or  whether  a  society  is  formally  created. 

(a)  The  close  association  of  congenial  people 
who  become  warm  friends,  if  they  are  people  of 
the  right  type,  is  beneficial.  Friendships  are  often 
made  that  last  thru  life,  and  nothing   is   to  be 
prized  more  highly  than  friendships  of  the  right 
type. 

(b)  Many  associations  have  as  their  aim  some- 
thing  uplifting   and   ennobling,   like   charity   or- 
ganizations, educational  clubs,  churches ;  and  if 
these  aims  are  followed,  members  of  the  associa- 
tion may  well  get  a  stimulus  and  an  uplift  toward 
the  better  things  of  life  that  will  afterward  prove 
extremely  helpful. 

(c)  For  the  carrying  out  of  work  among  num- 
bers of  people,  organization  is  often  helpful.     In 
the  planning  and  work  of  organization  and  thru 
the  organization,  the  habit  of  leadership  and  dis- 

85 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

cipline  is  sometimes  formed,  a  benefit  not  to  be 
overlooked.  The  well-organized  group  is  the  one 
that  wins  in  a  competitive  contest. 

3.  Many  associations,  both  in  school  and  else- 
where, have  serious  disadvantages. 

(a)  Frequently,  owing  to  the  rivalry  for  mem- 
bership   or   to    carelessness    in    selection,    persons 
are  brought  into  the  association  who  are  not  con- 
genial and  sympathetic,  and  who,  because  of  the 
formal  organization,  cannot  be  dropped  as  easily 
as  when  the  grouping  is  purely  informal  or  in- 
stinctive;  sometimes   members   are  persons   whose 
influence  is  even  distinctly  bad  and  demoralizing, 
but  the  difficulties  of  getting  free  from  their  as- 
sociation are  no  less.     The  difficulty  of  choosing 
right  associates  is  often  too  great  for  persons  not 
of  mature  years. 

(b)  In  schools  and  colleges,  as  well  as  in  so- 
cial  life,   the   expense    of   societies    is    often    con- 
siderable, usually  more  than  is  anticipated  when 
one  enters  them.     This  expense  often  lays  a  seri- 
ous  burden   upon  the   shoulders   of   persons   who 
ought  not  to  carry  it,  merely  because  they  are  un- 
willing that  their  children  should  not  be  brought 
up  in  the  relationships  they  desire.     Without  fra- 
ternities   or   clubs,   the   children   might   easily   be 
friends  and  associates.    When  some  join  these  or- 
ganizations, the  parents  of  others  must  either  see 
their  children  separated  in  part  from  former  re- 
lationships, or  must  bear  the  burden  of  the  ex- 
pense of  the  society. 

16 


SOCIETIES  :  CLIQUES  :  FRATERNITIES 

(c)  Where  formal  organization  is  encouraged, 
the  tendency  is  toward  exclusiveness,  with  the  se- 
lection   of   members    not    always    on    the   highest 
grounds,    and    a    large    amount    of    snobbishness 
toward  outsiders  is  frequently  the  result. 

(d)  If  our  associations  are  largely  confined  to 
a  few  people,  we  soon  become  so  familiar  with  their 
habits  of  thinking  and  their  ways  of  living  that, 
altho   the   association    may   be   very   pleasant,   it 
teaches  us  very  little  and  gives  us  little  intellec- 
tual stimulus.    We  learn  more  by  meeting  many 
people  of  different  types,  and  tastes,  and  associa- 
tions, than  from  confining  our  interests  to  a  few. 
We  can  get  many  of  the  advantages  of  travel  by 
extending  our  acquaintance  widely.     When  we  go 
abroad  we  often  deliberately  seek  the  poorer  and 
uncultivated  classes  in  order  to  benefit  by  learning 
strange  customs.     We  could  often  learn  about  as 
much  by   making   friends   among  those   at  home 
whose  habits  of  living  and  working  and  thinking 
are  different  from  ours. 

4.  A  good  exercise  would  be  to  investigate  the 
clubs  and  fraternal  orders  in  the  home  town,  and 
the  high  school  and  college  fraternities,  in  order 
to  see  the  nature  of  the  benefits  and  disadvan- 
tages which  come  to  the  members  thru  these  as- 
sociations. 


37 


NOTES 


38 


NOTES 


IV 
INTOXICATING  LIQUORS  AND  TOBACCO 


"But  it  is  a  safer  conclusion  to  saj-,  'This  agreeth 
not  well  with  me,  therefore  I  will  not  continue  it,' 
than  this,  'l  find  no  offence  of  this,  therefore  I  may 
use  it.'  :  BACON. 

Hear  thou,  my  son,  and  be  wise,  and  guide  thine 
heart  in  the  way. 

"Be  not  among  wine-bibbers;  among  riotous  eat- 
ers of  flesh : 

For  the  drunkard  and  glutton  shall  come  to  pov- 
erty and  drowsiness  shall  clothe  a  man  with  rags." 
PROVERBS,  23:  19-21. 

REFERENCES 
Mathews :  Chap.   4. 
Bacon  :  Of  Regiment  of  Health. 
Luke,  7:  31-50. 


IV 
INTOXICATING  LIQUORS  AND  TOBACCO 

1.  Possibly  the  chief  objection  to  the  use  of  in- 
toxicating liquors  and  tobacco  is  that  the  use 
becomes  a  habit  which  is  very  difficult  to  break, 
and  that,  owing  to  the  effect  upon  one's  physical 
constitution,  the  tendency  is  strongly  toward  the 
use  of  an  increasing  quantity  in  order  to  get  the 
desired  satisfaction.  The  younger  and  less  mature 
the  person  is,  the  stronger  are  these  tendencies 
and  the  more  rapid  the  evil  results. 

According  to  the  best  medical  authorities  there 
is  no  advantage  whatever,  from  the  physical  point 
of  view,  to  be  gained  by  the  use  of  any  of  these 
articles  by  normal  young  persons,  tho  they  real- 
ize the  benefit  to  be  gained  at  times  in  illness. 

£.  It  is  sometimes  asserted  that  the  use  of  in- 
toxicating liquors  stimulates  the  imagination  and 
the  intellect  so  that  one  can  do  his  best  work  when 
under  the  influence  of  liquor,  and  the  examples  of 
Poe,  Daniel  Webster,  and  others  are  cited  in 
proof.  The  same  argument  might  be  used,  with 
probably  even  greater  emphasis,  regarding  the 
use  of  opium.  The  truth  is  that  when  a  person 
has  become  addicted  to  the  use  of  these  drugs  and 
his  constitution  has  become  warped  by  them,  he 
sometimes  cannot  do  his  best  work  without  them 
because  he  has  already  become  abnormal.  This  is 
no  proof  that  if  he  had  remained  normal  he  could 
not  have  done  as  good  or  even  better  work.  For 

43 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

one  illustration  like  those  given  above,  dozens 
could  easily  be  cited  of  as  great  or  greater  work 
by  people  in  normal  condition.  Probably  no  ex- 
ample can  be  found  of  a  person  doing  a  piece  of 
sustained,  difficult  work  under  the  influence  of 
liquor.  Such  work  must  be  done  under  normal 
conditions.  Our  greatest  statesmen  and  ablest 
politicians  of  both  the  earlier  and  later  days, 
with  very  rare  exceptions,  have  all  been  temperate 
men,  often  practically  teetotalers.  Often,  like 
Roosevelt,  they  do  not  even  smoke.  It  is  a  mis- 
taken notion  that  to  deal  with  men  and  politicians 
one  must  join  in  such  practices.  David  B.  Hill, 
the  greatest  democratic  leader  of  New  York  State 
in  the  present  generation,  used  neither  tobacco  nor 
strong  drink.  Can  there  be  a  great  religious  or 
social  leader  who  is  intemperate  in  any  particu- 
lar? 

3.  The  evil  influence  of  drinking  intoxicating 
liquors  is  intensified  by  the  fact  that  in  drinking 
places,  saloons,  one  usually  meets  associations  that 
are  degrading  rather  than  elevating.     Altho,  of 
course,   every   one  knovs   that   some   people   who 
drink  to  excess,  or  many  saloon  keepers,  have  ex- 
cellent personal  qualities,  their  influence,  on  the 
whole,  is  likely  to  be  bad. 

4.  The  custom  of  treating,  which  comes  from  a 
good  inclination  toward  sociability  and  generos- 
ity, has  an  evil  influence  in  leading  toward  exces- 
sive use. 

Is  there  en  element  of  heroism  in  refusing  to 

44 


INTOXICATING  LIQUORS  AND  TOBACCO 

accept  a  treat  in  a  company  where  treating  is 
customary,  or  is  it  snobbishness? 

May  a  man  be  so  generous  in  his  treating  as 
to  be  unjust  to  his  family  or  creditors?  Is  this 
common  ? 

5.  For  most  young  men  the  expense  of  either 
habit,  even  tho  it  does  not  lead  to  immoderate  use, 
is  nevertheless  a  heavy  burden.  Figure  out  the  cost 
to  the  average  smoker  or  the  moderate  drinker  for 
a  period  of  ten  years,  computing  interest  on  the 
investment  at  the  market  rate.     Is  saving  this  ex- 
pense to  be  looked  upon  as  stinginess  or  as  praise- 
worthy thrift? 

6.  A  very  serious  disadvantage  of  the  use,  es- 
pecially  of  intoxicating   liquors,   to   boys   is   the 
effect  which  it  has   upon  prospective  employers. 
Many  of  our  best  railroads  and  business  houses 
employ  only  temperate  men,  some  of  them  only 
teetotalers.     Some  saloon  keepers  insist  that  their 
bartenders  be  teetotalers.     The  tendency  is  rap- 
idly increasing  to  put  in  responsible  positions  only 
men  who  are  practically  teetotalers. 

7.  Worst  of  all,  perhaps,  is  the  fact  that  the 
use  of  intoxicants  perverts  the  moral  sense,  as  for 
that  matter  does  any  dominating  passion.    So  to  a 
man  who  has  taken  a  few  drinks  of  liquor,  tho 
he  is  not  really  drunk,  many  acts  will  sometimes 
appear   right,   even   praiseworthy,   that   at   other 
times  he  knows  to  be  wrong.     The  effect  of  opium 
is  even  more  direct  and  powerful. 

45 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

8.  Every  one  would  concede  the  pleasure  given 
from  the  gratification  of  one's  taste  in  the  case  of 
both  these  habits.    When  one  considers  the  added 
pain  that  comes  from  a  physical  breakdown,  and 
the  shortening  of  life  that  frequently  comes,  one 
sees  that    the  added  pleasure  in  life  from  these 
habits  is  likely  to  be  more  than  offset  by  the  les- 
sened pleasure   from   the    gratification    of    other 
tastes  that  are  not  themselves  detrimental. 

9.  Make  out  a  list  of  a  dozen  habits,  good  and 
bad,  found  in  school  life,  with  a  brief  statement  of 
the    immediate    and    permanent   gratification    and 
cost  both  in  money  and  in  other  effects  of  each. 


46 


NOTES 


NOTES 


NOTES 


49 


V 

PROFANITY  AND  SLANG 


A  man's  power  to  connect  his  thought  with  its 
proper  symbol,  and  so  to  utter  it,  depends  upon  the 
simplicity  of  his  character,  that  is,  upon  his  love 
of  truth,  and  his  desire  to  communicate  it  without 
loss."  EMERSON. 

The  corruption  of  man  is  followed  by  the  cor- 
ruption of  language. "  EMERSON. 

Picturesque  language  is  at  once  a  commanding 
certificate  that  he  who  employs  it  is  a  man  in  alli- 
ance with  truth  and  God."  EMERSON. 

Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy 
God  in  vain ;  for  the  Lord  will  not  hold  him  guiltless 
that  taketh  His  name  in  vain."  EXODUS,  20:  7. 

But  let  your  communication  be,  Yea,  yea ;  Nay, 
nay :  for  whatsoever  is  more  than  these  cometh  of 
evil."  MATTHEW,  5  :  37. 

REFERENCES 

Emerson :  Language. 
Bacon :  Of  Discourse. 
James,  3. 


52 


PROFANITY  AND  SLANG 

1.  Speaking  generally,  there  is  no  better  test 
of  refinement   and   cultivation,   perhaps    even   of 
character,  than  the  use  of  language.     This  test 
covers  both  the  tone  of  voice  and  the  selection  of 
words. 

Does  a  good  disposition  show  in  tone? 
How  docs  a  bully's  voice  betray  character? 

2.  It  is  not  given  to  every  person  to  make  liter- 
ature in  the  best  sense  of  the  word.    Many  people 
have  not  the  necessary  imagination  or  experience 
in  life,  but  with  some  care  and  training  every  per- 
son who  thinks  clearly  can  make  himself  clearly 
understood.     For  most  purposes  a  simple,  clear, 
direct  manner  is  by  far  the  best  in  both  speaking 
and   writing.      Careful,   accurate    distinctions   in 
thought  demand  a  very  careful  use  of  words  in 
order    that   the   different    shades    of   meaning  be 
clearly  expressed. 

3.  Probably  the  chief  disadvantage  in  the  use 
of  slang  comes  from  the  fact  that  the  one  slang 
word,  which  every  one  grants  may  be  very  pic- 
turesque and  expressive  in   a  particular  case,  is 
made   to  do   service  in   many   cases,   so   that   the 
meaning  is  obscured.     The  habit  of  using  slang 
breeds   carelessness   about  enlarging  the  vocabu- 
lary  or   noting   carefully   the   exact   meaning   of 
words.     It  is  said  that  Wendell  Phillips  thruout 
his  early  years  never  permitted  himself  the  use  of 

53 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

slang,  In  order  that  the  habit  of  accurate,  careful 
expression  might  be  fixed.  His  marvelous  success 
as  an  orator  in  later  years  depended  largely  upon 
the  ease  and  grace  with  which  he  expressed  his 
thoughts  without  previous  preparation. 

4.  Uncultivated  people  who  swear  make  a  few 
oaths  take  the  place  of  hundreds  of  words  which 
would    express   nice   discriminations   of   though*. 
Most   swearers  do  not  show  wickedness  by  their 
oaths,  for  their  words  are  thoughtlessly  uttered; 
they    show    merely    ignorant,    vulgar    stupidity. 
Deliberate  cursing  or  blaspheming  is,  of  course, 
irreverent  and  sinful,  and  in  some  countries  and 
states  it  is  unlawful  and  punishable  as  a  misde- 
meanor.  The  injunction  of  Jesus,  "Let  your  com- 
munication be  Yea,  yea ;  Nay,  nay,"  is  primarily 
good  sense  rather  than  religion. 

5.  Swearing    is     sometimes    defended    on    the 
ground   that   certain    great   men   have    had   that 
habit. 

Can  you  give  an  example  of  one  such  man  for 
ten  of  those  of  equal  greatness  who  have  not  had 
that  habit? 

If  great  men  swear  at  times  it  is  a  hindrance, 
not  a  help.  The  men  whose  commands  are  obeyed 
most  promptly  and  willingly  are  not  the  loud 
users  of  profanity,  but  the  quiet,  self-contained 
men  whose  control  of  self  gives  them  control  of 
others. 


NOTES 


NOTES 


NOTES 


57 


VI 
LYING 


But  it  is  not  the  lie  that  passeth  thru  the  mind, 
but  the  lie  that  sinketh  in  and  settleth  in  it,  that 
doth  the  harm."  BACON. 

But  however  these  things  are  thus  in  men's  de- 
praved judgments  and  affections,  yet  truth,  which 
only  doth  judge  itself,  teacheth  that  the  inquiry  of 
truth,  which  is  the  lovemaking  or  wooing  of  it,  the 
knowledge  of  truth,  which  is  the  presence  of  it,  and 
the  belief  of  truth,  which  is  the  enjoying  of  it,  is 
the  sovereign  of  human  nature."  BACON. 

Certainly,  it  is  heaven  upon  earth,  to  have  a 
man's  mind  move  in  charity,  rest  in  providence,  and 
turn  upon  the  poles  of  truth. "  BACON. 

It  seems  a  very  simple  thing  to  tefl  the  truth, 
but,  beyond  all  question,  there  is  nothing  half  so 
easy  as  lying."  HOLLAND. 

It  is  impossible  for  bigots,  for  men  of  one  idea, 
for  fanatics,  for  those  who  set  boundaries  to  them- 
selves, in  religious,  social,  and  political  creeds,  for 
men  who  think  more  of  their  own  selfish  interests 
than  they  do  of  truth,  and  for  vicious  men,  to  speak 
the  truth."  HOLLAND. 

The  getting  of  treasure  by  a  lying  tongue  is  a 
vanity  tossed  to  and  fro  of  them  that  seek  death." 
PROVERBS,  21:6. 

REFERENCES 
Bacon:  Of  Truth. 
Smiles :  Character,  Chap.  7. 
Genesis,  31. 
Aces,  5:  1-11. 
Jonn.  8:12-59. 

60 


VI 
LYING 

1.  Perhaps  no  other  moral  quality  affects   so 
profoundly  the  stability  of  social  institutions  as 
that  of  truthfulness,  including  under  that  term 
both  accuracy  of  statement  and  fidelity  in  carry- 
ing out  agreements.    Among  business  men  on  the 
stock  exchange  and  boards  of  trade,  transactions 
involving  hundreds   of  thousands   of  dollars   are 
frequently  closed  by  merely  a  sign  or  a  nod  or  a 
word,  and  the  broker  making  the  contract  would 
never  think  of  violating  it  or  of  pretending  to 
misunderstand.     The  interests  of  business  compel 
absolute  fidelity  to  the  agreement. 

2.  And  yet  people  are   often  found   ready   to 
advocate  trickery  and  inaccuracy  in  statements. 
Until  late  years  it  was  popularly  supposed  that  a 
good  part  of  the  business  of  a  diplomat  was  to 
deceive  the  ruler  of  the  state  where  he  was  resi- 
dent ;  and  at  the  present  time  in  polite  society  we 
hear  many  exaggerated  statements  on  minor  mat- 
ters, made  for  the  sake  of  increasing  the  pleas- 
antness of  social  intercourse,  that  are  lightly  ex- 
cused as  "society  lies,"  "white  lies,"   etc.     It  is 
desirable  that  every  person  define  clearly  to  him- 
self just  what  he  understands  by  telling  the  truth 
or  telling  a  lie,  and  that  he  follow  unswervingly 
the  principle  which  he  adopts. 

Is  a  general  justified  in  deceiving  the  enemy? 

61 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

Is  one  of  the  great  evils  of  war  the  encourage- 
ment of  deceit? 

Is  an  exaggerated  statement  of  a  society  lady 
as  to  her  pleasure  in  seeing  a  guest,  which  de- 
ceives no  one,  a  lie? 

Ought  a  ball  player  to  let  the  umpire  make  a 
mistake  in  his  favor? 

Is  it  wrong  for  a  catcher  to  draw  the  ball  so  as 
to  deceive  the  umpire  as  to  whether  it  crossed  the 
plate?  Why? 

Is  a  physician  justified  in  misleading  a  nervous 
patient  regarding  his  condition? 

3.  Probably  no  reputation  contributes  more  to 
the  success  of  a  merchant  or  of  a  business  man  of 
any  kind  than  that  of  never  misrepresenting  his 
goods  and  never  failing  to  keep  his  agreements. 
Probably  no  reputation  contributes  more  to  the 
success  of  a  lawyer  along  many  lines  of  practice 
than  that  of  absolute  trustworthiness,  and  yet 
many  lawyers  seek  to  acquire  the  reputation  of 
winning  cases  even  by  means  of  trickery  and 
deceit. 

Do  we  fully  trust  any  person  whom  we  have 
ever  caught  deceiving  us? 

Do  such  methods  pay? 

Are  such  methods  right,  looked  at  from  the 
point  of  view  of  the  good  of  society? 

Is  there  any  greater  blemish  on  the  reputation 
of  Napoleon  Bonaparte  than  that  of  being  an 
habitual  liar? 

Bismarck  is  reported  to  have  said  that  he  told 

62 


LYING 

the  truth  regarding  his  intentions  in  diplomatic 
matters  and  that  thereby  he  deceived  his  rivals  at 
foreign  courts  most  effectually. 

Is  the  purpose  or  the  method  the  criterion  by 
which  one  should  judge  the  quality  of  such  an 
act? 

Can  one  imagine  a  great  moral  or  religious 
teacher,  like  Socrates,  or  Buddha,  or  Confucius, 
or  Jesus,  telling  a  lie? 

Is  this  merely  religious  or  is  this  a  good  prin- 
ciple from  the  practical  business  and  political 
point  of  view? 

Can  the  political  boss  afford  to  deceive? 

What  is  the  loss  and  gain  to  the  pupil  in  pre- 
senting to  the  teacher  a  forged  excuse  for  ab- 
sence? 


fls 


NOTES 


>l  OTES 


VII 
CHEATING  AND  GRAFT 


There  is  no  vice  that  doth  so  c*ver  a  man  with 
shame  as  to  be  found  false  and  perfidious."  BACON. 

He  becometh  poor  that  dealeth  with  a  slack 
hand;  but  the  hand  of  the  diligent  maketh  rich." 
PROVERBS,  10:4. 

Seest  thou  a  man  diligent  in  his  business?  He 
shall  stand  before  kings :  he  shall  not  stand  before 
mean  men."  PROVERBS,  22  :  9. 

Therefore  take  heed  to  your  spirit,  that  ye  deal 
not  treacherously."  MALACHI,  2:  16. 

REFERENCES 

Smiles:  Self-Help,  Chaps.  9,  10. 
Genesis,  30  : 25-43. 


VII 
CHEATING  AND  GRAFT 

1.  Allied  to  truth-telling  and  to  the  keeping  of 
contracts   is   the   quality   of  trustworthiness   and 
faithfulness  in  doing  work  for  one's  self  or  for 
others.     A  great  employer  of  labor  mentioned  as 
one  of  the  chief  advantages   in   the  employment 
of  Chinese,  that  when  they  had  once  learned  the 
way  of  doing  a  task  and  what  was  expected  of 
them,   they  would  work   as   well   when   their   em- 
ployer was  iibsent  as  when  he  was  present ;  where- 
as,   he     said,    many    Europeans    and    Americans 
worked  much  better   under  their   employer's   eye 
than  when  he  was  absent.     A  Chinaman's  wages 
were  placed  correspondingly  high.     In  engaging 
new  men  a  reputation  for  faithfulness  is  the  best 
recommendation. 

2.  In  colleges  and  schools  it  is,  in  many  cases,  a 
not  uncommon  practice  for  students  to  cheat  in 
their  examinations,  cither  by  taking  secretly  into 
the  class  some  aids  or  by  securing  assistance  from 
other  students.     In  these  ways  students  frequently 
have  succeeded  in  passing  an  examination  without 
discovery    by    the    teacher    when    otherwise    they 
probably  would  have  failed.     Under  what  circum- 
stances, if  any,  are  such  practices  justifiable  from 
the  standpoint  (a)   of  the  student  who  considers 
(1)    his   ultimate  success  in  life;    (2)    the   effect 
upon  his  character;  (3)  the  effect  upon  his  repu- 
tation among  the  students?     (b)  From  the  stand- 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

point  of  the  teacher.  In  what  way  is  he  affected? 
(c)  From  the  standpoint  of  the  school  and  so- 
ciety. In  what  ways  are  they  affected? 

3.  The  cheating  in  examinations  is  confined  pri- 
marily to  the  school  itself.  Similar  practices  in 
connection  with  inter-school  athletics  have  a  much 
wider  range.  Can  a  school  afford  to  deceive  other 
schools  by  practically  hiring  professional  athletes, 
either  directly  contrary,  technically  and  practi- 
cally, to  agreement,  or,  if  technically  correct, 
practically  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  the  agree- 
ment ? 

Does  it  require  bravery  to  take  a  stand  for 
clean  athletics  under  all  circumstances?  Ought 
such  courage  to  be  less  praiseworthy  than  that 
shown  on  the  battlefield?  Which  is  of  more  con- 
sequence to  the  nation? 

Is  it  of  more  consequence  for  the  school  to  have 
the  reputation  of  being  successful  in  athletics, 
even  by  unfair  means,  or  of  being  both  broad  and 
fair  in  athletics  as  well  as  in  scholarship? 

What  penalty  should  be  provided  for  a  runner 
who  will  deliberately  beat  the  pistol  in  starting? 
Should  his  school  be  made  to  suffer? 

Are  the  students  who  are  attracted  mainly  by 
successful,  even  tho  unfair  athletics,  desirable  stu- 
dents for  the  school? 

Are  the  parents  who  select  a  school  with  refer- 
ence to  success  by  whatever  means,  instead  of  with 
reference  to  careful  scholarship  and  upright  deal- 
ings, desirable  patrons  for  a  school? 

70 


CHEATING  AND  GRAFT 

4.  How  do  such  school  practices  affect  one's 
reputation  or  his  business  habits  in  later  life? 

Let  the  student  look  up  the  practices  of  the 
most  respected,  upright  men  of  the  community 
when  they  were  in  school.  Be  careful  not  to  con- 
fuse love  of  fun  and  mischief  with  dishonesty  or 
meanness. 


71 


NOTE* 


MOTE* 


VIII 
GAMBLING  AND  BETTING 


But  chiefly  the  mould  of  a  man's  fortune  is  in 
his  own  hands."  BACON. 

Fortune  is  to  be  honored  and  respected,  and  it 
be  but  for  her  daughters,  Confidence  and  Reputa- 
tion." BACON. 

Shallow  men  believe  in  luck,  believe  in  circum- 
stances." Strongmen  believe  in  cause  and  effect." 
EMERSON. 

REFERENCES 
Bacon :  Of  Fortune. 
Smiles:     Self-Help,  Chaps.   4,   10. 
Mathews :  Chap.   2. 
Genesis,  37. 
Matthew,  27 :  35. 


76 


VIII 
GAMBLING  AND  BETTING 

1.  The   settlement   of   questions   by    chance    is 
often  convenient  and  is  a  means  frequently  em- 
ployed in  government.    In  cases  of  a  tie  election, 
the  decision   is,   in   some   states,   by   chance.      In 
games    chance   often   decides   which   person   shall 
have  the  selection  of  sides. 

In  what  way  does  the  settlement  of  a  question 
of  the  kind  mentioned  differ  from  gambling? 

2.  In  business  life  it  is  considered  both  right 
and  wise  to  render  an  equivalent  for  everything 
which  one  receives.    In  making  purchases  or  sales 
one  expects  to  give  or  to  receive  one's  money's 
worth.     Owing  to  the  different  circumstances  of 
buyer  and  seller,  both  gain  by  the  exchange.     In 
gambling,  one  party  loses  what  the  other  gains, 
and,  except  in  the  rare  cases  where  the  sum  at 
stake  is  trivial  and  where  the  pleasure  of  playing 
is  equivalent  to  the  amount  lost,  there  is  no  equiv- 
alent to  the  loser.     In  consequence,  the  effect  of 
gambling  is  exactly  the  same  as  that  of  robbery, 
except  in  the  fact  that  the  loser  has  voluntarily 
submitted  himself  to  the  loss  and  the  winner  has, 
in  many  cases,  if  not  in  most,  had  no  evil  intent. 
Experience  shows,  however,  that  when  the  habit 
of  gambling  becomes  fixt,  the  consequences  to  the 
loser  are  not  considered  by  the  winner,  and  the 
effect  is  often  as  bad  as  that  of  robbery.    In  fact, 
the  effect  is  often  worse,  because  the  loser,  when 

77 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

he  acquires  the  gambling  habit,  instead  of  making 
up  his  loss,  'as  in  the  case  of  robbery,  and  then 
keeping  it,  is  sure  to  risk  his  earnings  over  and 
over  again,  with  the  practical  certainty  of  con- 
tinual loss.  The  gambling  habit  is  opposed  to 
thrift,  and  no  community  can  prosper  whose  mem- 
bers are  not  thrifty. 

Ought  a  man  who  gambles  or  bets  on  a  small 
scale  merely  for  fun  to  consider  the  possible  ef- 
fect of  his  example  upon  others,  especially  boys? 

3.  Gambling  establishments  always  play  with 
chances  so  heavily  on  their  side  that  in  the  long 
run  they  certainly  win  and  their  customers  lose. 
The  moral  effect  of  gambling,  however,  is  such 
that,  excepting  in  the  rarest  instances,  the  gam- 
bling is  not  conducted  fairly,  even  tho  the  chances 
are  in  favor  of  the  house  or  gambler.  Cheating 
is  common  among  gamblers. 

What  is  the  difference  between  gambling  at 
faro  or  poker  without  cheating  and  dealing  in  fu- 
tures on  the  boards  of  trade  with  no  intention  of 
actual  purchase  and  sale ;  as  when  one  buys  10,000 
bushels  of  wheat  to  be  delivered  at  80  cents  a 
bushel  three  months  hence,  not  intending  to  take 
the  wheat,  but  to  pay  the  seller  two  cents  for  each 
bushel  if  the  market  price  should  be  at  that  time 
78  cents,  and  to  receive  the  same  amount  from  him 
if  the  price  becomes  82  cents? 

Has  a  director  of  a  company  with  previous 
knowledge  of  the  conditions  of  his  business  any 
moral  right  to  buy  or  sell  the  stock  of  his  own 

78 


GAMBLING  AND  BETTING 

company  with  the  practical  certainty  of  gaining 
at  the  expense  of  the  stockholders  from  whom  he 
buys  or  to  whom  he  sells,  and  for  whom,  it  should 
be  remembered,  he  is  a  trustee? 

5.  In  countries  where  lotteries  are  common   a 
very  large  proportion  of  the  poorer  people  spend 
much  of  their  earnings  in  buying  lottery  tickets. 
How  docs  this  custom  injure  society? 

6.  Betting. 

(a)  Is  there  any  essential  difference  in  princi- 
ple between  gambling  and  betting?     If  so,  what? 

(b)  What  classes  of  people  in  society  arc  in 
the    habit    of   betting?     Cheating   at    cards    and 
playing  with  loaded  dice  are  considered  dishonora- 
ble.    Is  it  honorable  to  bet  without  giving  your 
opponent  the  same  information  which  you  have 
regarding     the    chances?     Is    such    information 
usually  given? 

Enumerate  the  dangers  to  the  individual  of 
gambling  and  betting.  Enumerate  the  dangers 
to  society  of  gambling  and  betting.  Is  the  habit 
a  difficult  one  to  break? 


NOTES 


86 


NOTES 


81 


"There  is  no  truth  which  personal  vice  will  not 
distort."  HOLLAND. 

"Any  nobleness  begins  at  once  to  refine  a  man's 
features;  any  baseness  or  sensuality  to  embrute 
them."  THOREAU. 

"He  that  loveth  pureness  of  heart,  for  the  grace 
of  his  lips  the  king  shall  be  his  friend."  PROVERBS, 
22:  11. 

"The  mouth  of  strange  women  is  a  deep  pit:  he 
that  is  abhorred  of  the  Lord  shall  fall  therein." 
PROVERBS,  22:  14-. 

REFERENCES 
Bacon:  Of  Beauty. 
Genesis,  39:   1-23. 
I  Cor.,  3:   16-17. 
I  Cor.,  5:  9-13;  6. 
Proverbs,  7.- 


IX 
THE  SEX  PROBLEM 

1.  During   their    school   days   the    attitude    of 
boys  toward  girls  is  likely  to  change  very  materi- 
ally.    It  is  extremely  desirable  both  for  the  boys 
and  for  the  community  that  the  naturally  increas- 
ing interest  in  the  other  sex  be  a  source  of  benefit 
instead  of  a  detriment. 

2.  Most  boys  believe  in  and  have  a  chivalrous 
feeling  of   championship    for  the  honor  and  hap- 
piness of  their  mothers  and  sisters.     They  will 
fight  for  them  gladly. 

Is  it  not  well  for  .them  to  bear  continually  in 
mind  the  fact  that  most  girls  are  the  sisters  and 
the  daughters  of  persons  whose  lives  would  be 
made  wretched  by  serious  misconduct  on  their 
part? 

3.  Most  boys  during  their  school  years  become 
aware  of  the  fact  that  there  are  girls  who  make 
their  living  by  pandering  to  the  passions  of  men. 
Some  of  these  girls  have  been  led  into  this  life  by 
the  deceit  and  trickery  and  meanness  and  vileness 
of  men  who  have  deliberately  misled  them  for  their 
own  gratification  and  have  then  abandoned  them 
to  a  life  of  misfortune  and  dishonor.    Others  have 
been    practically  trained  as  children  for  this  life 
and  have  been  kept  purposely  or  by  unfortunate 
circumstances  in  such  surroundings  that  they  are 
not  conscious  of  guilt  in  their  actions.    Neverthe- 
less, they  find  themselves  under  the  condemnation 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

of  society  and  subjected  to  a  life  which  is  prac- 
tically certain  to  bring  them  unhappiness  and  dis- 
ease, and  to  make  them  outcasts.  A  very  large 
proportion  of  these  girls  are  practically  slaves 
who  are  allowed  to  retain  no  part  of  their  earn- 
ings, all  of  which  goes  into  the  pockets  of  their 
criminal  masters. 

Association  with  such  girls  is  very  likely,  if 
common  it  is  practically  certain,  to  bring  disease, 
often  incurable;  and  it  is  certain  to  bring  a  boy 
into  immoral  and  contaminating  surroundings 
which,  if  he  continues,  will  eventually  wreck  his 
opportunities  for  usefulness  and  success. 

Does  it  pay  to  yield  to  inclinations  which  result 
so  certainly  in  evil? 

Does  it  ever  pay  to  yield  one's  power  of  self- 
control  ? 

4.  Nearly  every  young  man  looks  forward,  and 
properly,  to  a  married  life  and  to  happiness  with 
a  family. 

Can  a  man  with  a  clear  conscience  associate 
himself  with  a  pure  woman  as  intimately  as  in 
marriage  if  he  has  been  tempted  into  the  con- 
taminating associations  connected  with  an  impure 
life? 

Is  it  not  worth  while,  for  the  sake  of  the  future 
permanent  happy  family  relationships,  for  young 
men  to  keep  control  of  their  lives  when  boys? 
They  should  not  confound  passion  with  love. 

5.  Passion  needs  to  be  kept  well  in  hand  or  the 
habit  of  self-abuse  may  lead  to  results  almost  or 

80 


THE  SEX  PROBLEM 

quite  as  harmful  to  the  individual  as  illicit  rela- 
tions. 

Excess  in  any  of  these  directions  leads  to  physi- 
cal weakness  as  well  as  to  mental  and  moral  de- 
generacy. An  athlete  must  be  continent  and  ab- 
stemious in  all  ways. 

6.  A  large  part  of  the  temptations  to  illicit 
relationships  and  a  large  part  of  the  evil  associa- 
tions connected  therewith  are  brought  about  by 
loose  talk,  vile  stories,  and  impure  thinking  re- 
garding the  relations  of  the  sexes. 

Is  it  not  better  worth  while  to  keep  the  physi- 
cal condition  sound  and  the  mental  and  spiritual 
attitude  clean  and  sane  by  active  association  with 
people  of  the  right  type  of  both  sexes  whose  in- 
fluence will  be  toward  clean  and  moral  enjoy- 
ments ? 


NOTES 


88 


NOTES 


X 

ATTITUDE  TOWARD  WORK 


"Kites  rise  against,  not  with,  the  wind.  No  man 
ever  worked  his  passage  anywhere  in  a  dead  calm." 
NEAL,  by  Mathews. 

"A  faithful  man  shall  abound  with  blessings:  but 
he  that  maketh  haste  to  be  rich  shall  not  be  inno- 
cent." PROVERBS,  28:  20. 

REFERENCES 

Bacon :  Of  Ambition ;  Of  Dispatch. 
Mathews:  Chaps.    14,    15. 
Smiles:  Character,   Chaps.  4,  12. 
Proverbs,   2i. 
Luke,   19:  11-28. 


ATTITUDE  TOWARD  WORK 

1.  Workingmen    generally  are  anxious  to  get 
their   wages   increased,    and   they   properly   take 
measures  to  get  as  good  wages  as  possible.  With 
this  desire,  however,  is  sometimes  combined  that 
to  render  the  least  possible  service  without  losing 
their   place.      Workingmen   frequently    are   very 
prompt   at  the  quitting  hour,  less   eager  at  be- 
ginning. 

Is  this  fair? 

Is  this  wise? 

The  employer,  on  the  other  hand,  attempts  to 
get  more  than  a  fair  day's  work  without  paying 
more. 

Is  this  fair  or  wise? 

2.  Where  the  work  is  interesting,  or  where  the 
workingman  has  a  peculiar  professional  pride,  his 
endeavor  is  often  to  render  the  best  service  pos- 
sible under  the  conditions  without  much  regard  to 
the  wages  or  money  returns. 

In  this  case,  may  the  enjoyment  of  the  work 
itself  be  looked  upon  as  part  of  the  compensation? 

3.  If  a  person  desires  promotion  or  an  increase 
in  pay,  will  it  not  be  practically  impossible  for  the 
employer  to  promote  him  or  to  increase  the  pay 
until  the  workman  is  earning  more  than  his  wages? 
As  a  practical  matter,  then,  must  not  the  ambi- 
tious workman  lay  his  emphasis  upon  the  quality 

93 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

and  amount  of  service  rendered,  rather  than  upon 
the  pay  received? 

Ought  not  the  employer  to  be  ready  to  increase 
wages  promptly  when  unusually  good  service  is 
rendered  ? 

'k  Aside  from  the  question  of  the  work  done, 
owing  to  our  human  nature  we  all  like  the  spirit 
of  cheerfulness  and  willingness  on  the  part  of 
those  associated  with  us.  In  consequence,  in  se- 
lecting men  for  promotion  the  employer  is  more 
likely,  other  things  being  equal,  to  take  the  will- 
ing worker,  even  though  the  quality  of  the  work 
done  is  not  superior. 

Is  he  to  be  blamed  for  so  doing? 

5.  Some  workmen  are  disposed  to  do  faithfully 
just  what  they  are  told,  but  to  make  no  effort  to 
go  beyond  instructions  and  think  out  new  plans 
for  themselves  which  will  render  their  work  more 
efficient  and  more  valuable  to  their  employer. 
Others  are  inclined  toward  reliance  upon  self  and 
to  originality  in  thinking  out  methods  of  work. 

How  far  can  individual  originality  be  permitted 
in  the  case  of  men  working  together  interdepend- 
cntly  ? 

Is  the  employer  ordinarily  glad  to  see  individ- 
ual initiative  on  the  part  of  his  workmen?  Why? 
How  far? 

Does  a  good  living  and  prosperity  come  oftener 
from  high  wages  or  from  a  habit  of  saving?  Dis- 
tinguish carefully  between  stinginess  and  thrift. 

What  is  the  difference  between  a  generous  man 

94 


and  a  spendthrift?  Which  does  most  harm  to  the 
community,  a  stingy  man  or  a  spendthrift? 

6.  The  principles  laid  down  above  and  the  ques- 
tions with  reference  to  workingmen  and  their  em- 
ployers apply  in  part  to  work  in  school,  but  with 
some  very  important  differences.  Point  out  the 
differences. 

How  far  is  the  teacher  the  gainer,  how  far  the 
loser,  by  the  faithful  or  unfaithful  work  of 
pupils? 

Is  the  pupil  the  gainer  or  the  loser  by  faithful 
or  unfaithful  work? 

Have  the  successful  men  in  all  lines  kept  their 
work  or  their  pay  first  in  mind? 


NOTES 


.NOTES 


XI 

THE  SELF-CENTERED  MAN 


"Whosoever  in  the  frame  of  his  nature  and  affec- 
tions, is  unfit  for  friendship,  he  taketh  it  of  the 
beast,  and  not  from  humanity."  BACON. 

"Speech  of  man's  self  ought  to  be  seldom,  and 
well  chosen."  BACON. 

"Sweet  mercy  is  nobility's  true  badge."  SHAKS- 
PERE. 

"Seest  thou  a  man  wise  in  his  own  conceit?  there 
is  more  hope  of  a  fool  than  of  him."  PROVERBS 
24:  12. 

REFERENCES 

Bacon :  Of  Discourse. 
Mathews:  Chaps.   11,   13. 
Smiles :   Character,  Chaps.  8,  Q. 
Luke,  18. 


100 


XI 
THE  SELF-CENTERED  MAN 

1.  Most  persons  are  inclined  to  think  much  of 
themselves  and  of  their  own  interests.  Many  peo- 
ple are  very  unwise  and  short-sighted  in  seeing 
clearly  what  is,  in  the  long  run,  for  their  own 
best  interests. 

With  the  exception  of  dishonesty  and  untrust- 
worthiness,  there  is  perhaps  no  personal  charac- 
teristic which  stands  more  in  the  way  of  ultimate 
success  than  self-conceit,  undue  pride  in  one's  own 
possessions  and  powers.  Usually  the  conceited 
person  is  narrow-minded  and  mentally  short- 
sighted. The  man  who  sees  himself  accurately  in 
his  relations  with  others  ordinarily  knows  that, 
however  able  and  wise  he  may  be,  there  are  many 
others  still  abler,  more  experienced,  and  wiser. 
Even  the  greatest  man  at  the  head  of  his  profes- 
sion, if  he  thinks  carefully,  knows  that,  great  as 
his  knowledge  may  be,  the  extent  of  his  ignorance 
even  in  his  chosen  field  is  probably  much  greater. 
The  range  of  the  problems  of  nature  and  society 
is  so  nearly  infinite  that  the  most  accomplisht  by 
man  in  any  direction  seems  small  when  compared 
with  that  still  left  to  be  accomplisht.  Sir  Isaac 
Newton,  near  the  close  of  his  life,  spoke  of  him- 
self in  relation  to  his  scientific  attainments  as  a 
little  child  playing  upon  the  beach,  picking  up  a 
shell  here,  a  pretty  pebble  there,  with  the  great 
ocean  of  truth  still  unexplored  before  him. 

101 


UNIVERSITY  OF  r 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

2.  Too  many  people  hesitate  to  give  credit  to 
others   for   the   good  work   they   do,   apparently 
being  jealous  lest  the  good  work  of  others  should 
detract  from  their  own  credit.     Even  presidents 
of  colleges,  heads  of  corporations,  managers  of 
a  great  business,   sometimes  claim  the  credit  of 
work  done  by  their  subordinates.     Such  action  is 
unwise,  because,  first,  the  head  of  any  enterprise 
is  always  given  credit  for  its  success,  whoever  does 
the  work ;  and,  second,  such  action  lessens  the  en- 
thusiasm, and,  in  consequence,  the  efficiency  of  the 
subordinates,  and  checks  success. 

3.  A  person  who   does    good  work   ordinarily 
needs   to   make  little   effort  to   secure  credit  for 
himself.     People    are    generally    willing    to    give 
credit   where   it   is    due ;   and   people   are   always 
eager  to  get  work  done  by  those  who  are  most 
efficient.      Excellent  work   in   any  line  makes   an 
immediate  demand  for  more  work  from  the  same 
individual.     There  is  no  kind  of  credit  for  work 
so  certain  or  so  satisfactory  as  the  requests  and 
demands  for  more  work  of  the  same  kind  from 
the  same  person.     Moreover,  a  continual  demand 
for  recognition  is  likely  to  arouse  prejudice  and 
hostility,  so  that  it  often  defeats  its  own  pur- 
pose. 

4.  Without  reference  to  the  question  of  individ- 
ual claim  for  credit  or  willingness  to  give  credit 
to  others  for  good  work,  it  is  often  very  desira- 
ble to  give  one's  time  and  energy  to  the  service 
of  some  worthy  cause  or  to  the  public.    Much  of 

102 


THE  SELF-CENTERED  MAN 

the  best  work  in  the  world  is  done  to  further  some 
social  or  religious  reform  with  no  thought  of  per- 
sonal reward  on  the  part  of  the  worker ;  and  yet 
a  reward  is  ordinarily  obtained  in,  first,  the  con- 
sciousness of  an  honest  attempt  at  good  service, 
and,  second,  frequently,  in  the  consciousness  of 
having  attained  the  end  sought  for. 

What  pay  did  Socrates  get  for  his  efforts  to 
reform  Greece? 

What  special  dangers  in  school  life  are  there  in 
the  direction  of  self-conceit? 

Do  any  boys  dress  beyond  their  means  to  grati- 
fy their  vanity? 

Is  there  much  snobbishness  in  your  school? 

Are  there  any  who  think  more  highly  of  them- 
selves than  they  ought  to  think?  Who? 

Are  you  one  of  them? 

If  you  are  superior  to  some  of  your  fellows  in 
some  regards,  is  the  credit  due  to  you  personally 
or  to  surrounding  circumstances? 

Is  the  conceited  or  self-centered  man  more  likely 
to  be  stingy  or  to  be  a  spendthrift?  Is  he  likely 
to  be  a  generous  man  ? 

If  you  had  been  born  in  a  hovel  and  reared 
among  petty  thieves,  what  reason  have  you  for 
thinking  that  you  would  not  be  a  pickpocket? 

If  you  were,  ought  you  not  to  be  arrested  and 
punished?  Why? 

How  are  doers  of  unselfish  deeds  paid ;  for  ex- 
ample, the  man  who  rescues  a  drowning  person  at 
the  risk,  possibly  the  cost,  of  his  own  life? 


M  OTEg 


104 


NOTES 


105 


NOTES 


106 


NOTES 


107 


XII 
SOCIAL  SERVICE  IN  THE  COMMUNITY 


'  'Tis  the  fine  souls  that  eerve  us,  and  not  what 
is  called  fine  society."  EMERSON. 

"Mankind  divides  itself  into  two  classes, — bene- 
factors and  malefactors.  The  second  class  is  vast, 
the  first  a  handful."  EMERSON. 

"Righteousness  exalteth  a  nation;  but  sin  is  a 
reproach  to  any  people."  PROVERBS,  14:  34. 

REFERENCES 

Emerson :  Experience. 

Matthew,  5;  6;  7. 

Smiles:  Self-Help,  Chap.  1. 


110 


XII 
SOCIAL  SERVICE  IN  THE  COMMUNITY 

1.  People  frequently  assume  that  in  their  re- 
lations with  the  public  and  the  state  they  may 
apply  a  different  standard  of  honesty  from  that 
which  they  have  in  their  relations  with  private 
individuals.  Persons  who  would  not  steal  from 
individuals  or  cheat  in  private  business  will  often 
smuggle,  altho  that  is  depriving  the  state  of  prop- 
erty to  which  it  has  a  legal  right.  The  state 
must  have  a  certain  amount  of  income.  If  one 
individual  pays  to  the  government  less  than  his 
fair  share  of  the  taxes,  other  people  must  pay 
more  than  their  fair  share.  The  effect,  then,  of 
tax-dodging  is  practically  the  same  as  taking 
money  from  the  pockets  of  one's  neighbors. 

2.  Properties  belonging  to  the  public,  like 
schoolhouses,  parks,  streets,  etc.,  in  effect  belong 
to  all  the  individuals  in  the  community  taken  as  a 
unit.  If  a  student  destroys  school  property,  is 
he  practically  destroying  the  property  of  his 
parents  and  neighbors? 

If  a  person  realizes  that  he  is  a  member  of  the 
community  which  owns  the  streets  and  parks,  and 
that  they  are  under  the  charge  of  officers  chosen 
either  directly  or  indirectly  by  his  parents  or  him- 
self to  care  for  them,  will  he  not  naturally  take  a 
pride  in  keeping  them  in  good  order?  Will  he  not 
take  a  pride  in  keeping  the  parks  beautiful,  enjoy- 
ing their  flowers  and  trees? 

Ill 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

If  a  park  belongs  to  the  people  of  a  community, 
why  has  not  each  individual  in  the  community  a 
right  to  pick  flowers  from  the  park  at  will?  Un- 
der what  conditions  could  this  properly  be  done? 

3.  Inasmuch  as  we  do  not  like  to  see  suffering 
and  as  it  is  more  convenient  for  the  people  in  the 
community  to  make  contributions  fairly  thru  the 
government,  there  has  gradually  grown  up  in  civ- 
ilized communities  the  recognition  of  the  duty  of 
the  public  to  support  the  helpless  poor  and  un- 
fortunate. In  consequence,  taxes  are  levied  for 
their  support,  almshouses  are  built,  and  the  public 
thru  properly  chosen  officers  cares  for  many  un- 
fortunates. The  receipt  of  aid  under  most  cir- 
cumstances from  others  who  are  not  under  obli- 
gation to  give  it,  as  are  members  of  the  family, 
has  been  found,  in  most  cases,  to  have  an  injuri- 
ous effect  upon  people  who  are  able  to  earn  their 
own  living.  It  is  a  way  of  getting  something  for 
nothing  which  is  often  as  demoralizing  to  the 
character  as  is  gambling.  It  is,  therefore,  often 
better  for  the  individuals,  as  well  as  for  the  pub- 
lic, for  assistance  to  be  given  in  the  way  of  fur- 
nishing work  or  in  the  way  of  friendship,  rather 
than  by  giving  public  charity. 

Is  there  danger  of  being  too  generous?  Under 
what  circumstances? 

Is  it  not  desirable  that  these  facts  and  these 
principles  be  understood  by  the  students  in 
the  schools,  and  that  they  begin  some  of  their 
duties  as  citizens  by  investigating,  as  best  they 

112 


SOCIAL  SERVICE  IN  THE  COMMUNITY 

can,  the  cases  of  suffering  in  the  community  and 
taking  a  personal  part  in  the  relief  of  such  suffer- 
ing? In  many  cases,  perhaps  in  most  cases,  the 
personal  touch  with  those  who  are  unfortunate  is 
most  helpful  to  all  persons  concerned. 

4.  Of  greater  danger  to  the  community  than 
the  unfortunate  paupers,  are  those  who  are  crimi- 
nals or  who  are  criminally  inclined.  We  are  all 
of  us  likely  to  blame  the  criminal  and  the  de- 
praved, but  beyond  doubt  in  very  many  cases  the 
tendency  toward  crime  has  come  from  the  sur- 
roundings in  youth  of  the  individual  who,  under 
different  circumstances,  would  never  have  become 
criminal.  A  very  large  number  of  those  who  lead 
lives  innocent  of  crime  would  doubtless  have  been 
criminals,  or  perhaps  would  even  now  become 
criminals,  were  the  circumstances  changed  so  that 
they  were  brought  under  severe  temptation,  and 
particularly  so  if  the  pressure  of  public  opinion, 
instead  of  holding  them  from  crime,  should  impel 
them  toward  crime,  as  is  often  the  case  with  the 
real  criminal.  Under  these  circumstances,  ought 
not  young  people  in  school  to  consider  with 
some  care  the  circumstances  surrounding  crim- 
inals, or  surrounding  those  whose  lives,  while 
not  contrary  to  law,  are,  nevertheless,  contrary  to 
public  opinion  regarding  good  morals  and  good 
habits  ? 

Is  not  a  special  social  duty  laid  upon  those  who 
are  receiving  from  the  public  the  blessings  of  edu- 
cation? 

113 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

Why  may  not  our  pupils  do  much  toward 
uplifting  the  moral  tone  of  the  community  if 
they  see  the  nature  of  the  influences  which  drag- 
people  down,  and  endeavor  both  for  themselves 
and  for  their  fellows  to  change  the  unfortunate 
circumstances  which  tend  toward  degradation? 
Such  work  can  often  be  done  best  in  connection 
with  the  churches,  but  at  times  much  can  be  done 
independently. 

It  would  be  well  to  have  the  boys  make  some 
brief  study  of  institutions  dealing  with  the  unfor- 
tunate and  criminal,  as  well  as  of  special  schools, 
such  as  the  George  Junior  Republic.  A  visit  to 
an  almshouse,  a  boys'  reformatory,  a  juvenile 
court,  would  be  helpful,  especially  if,  in  each  in- 
stance, an  attempt  were  made  to  get  the  personal 
history  of  individual  cases,  so  as  to  note  the  in- 
fluences leading  to  misfortune  or  degradation. 

How  much  of  a  part  have  saloons,  pool  rooms, 
brothels,  played  in  producing  pauperism,  immo- 
rality, crime? 

How  far  do  school  boys  put  themselves  under 
like  influences? 


114 


NOTXB 


115 


116 


NOTES 


117 


XIII 
POLITICS 


"Everything  feels  the  new  breath  (courage),  ex- 
cept the  old  doting,  nigh-dead  politicians,  whose 
heart  the  trumpet  of  resurrection  could  not  wake." 
EMERSON. 

"We  see  insurmountable  multitudes  obeying,  in 
opposition  to  their  strongest  passions,  the  restraints 
of  a  power  which  they  scarcely  perceive,  and  the 
crimes  of  a  single  individual  marked  and  punished 
at  the  distance  of  half  the  earth."  EMERSON. 

"We  shall  one  day  learn  to  supercede  politics  by 
education." 

"A  politician  weakly  and  amiably  in  the  right  is 
no  match  for  a  politician  tenaciously  and  pugna- 
ciously in  the  wrong."  WHIPPLE. 

"Happy  is  that  people  that  is  in  such  a  case:  yea, 
happy  is  that  people,  whose  God  is  the  Lord." 
PSALMS,  144:  15. 

REFERENCES 

Emerson:  Courage,  Politics. 
Lowell:  Politics. 
Lowell:  Democracy. 
Luke,  20. 


320 


xm 

POLITICS 

1.  As   soon  as  an  individual  attempts  to  take 
part  in  the  civil  life  of  the  community  by  bringing 
influence  to  bear  upon  the  government,  either  di- 
rectly or  thru  taking  part  in  the  choice  of  public 
officials,  he  is  taking  part  in  politics  and  is,  to 
some  degree,  a  politician.   The  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity is  bound  up   so  closely  in  the  nature  of 
the  government  which  controls   our  schools,  our 
prisons,  our  highways,  our  churches,  our  social 
institutions  of  all  kinds,  that  every  good  citizen 
ought  to  inform  himself  carefully  regarding  the 
nature  of  problems  which  must  be  dealt  with  by 
government  and  regarding  the  way  in  which  gov- 
ernmental affairs  are  carried  on. 

Can  a  person  be  a  good  citizen  without  taking 
an  active  part  in  politics?  If  so,  under  what  cir- 
cumstances? Did  Jesus  take  part  in  the  political 
movements  of  his  day?  Why  did  he  follow  that 
plan  ? 

Can  a  person  be  a  good  citizen  without  being  a 
good  man?  Why? 

2.  In  most  communities  persons  are  chosen  to 
office  thru  the  active  work  of  political  parties  ;  and 
beyond  question  in  our  country  persons  can  do 
their  political  work,   under   most   circumstances, 
more  efficiently  thru  the  medium  of  a  party  than 
by  acting  independently. 

1*1 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

How  many  political  parties  are  there  in  the  com- 
munity, and  what  are  they? 

What  part  does  the  political  party  play  in 
electing  men  to  office? 

Does  an  officer  chosen  largely  thru  the  influence 
of  a  political  party  owe  any  special  allegiance  to 
that  party  or  is  his  allegiance  to  the  public  as  a 
whole?  Is  the  party  supposed  to  exist  for  the 
sake  of  the  public  or  for  the  sake  of  its  own 
members  ? 

3.  A  political  party  exists  for  the  purpose  of 
carrying  out  certain  principles  of  governmental 
work.     Usually  on  every  question  over  which  po- 
litical parties  divide  there  is  a  great  deal  to  be 
said  on  both  sides.     If  a  person  keeps  the  welfare 
of  the  state  in  mind,  he  is  often  greatly  puzzled 
to  know  with  which  party  he  should  work  in  or- 
der to   obtain  the  best  results.      Sometimes   even 
the  party  itself  changes  its  attitude  on  a  public 
question  under  the  influence  of  a  change  of  lead- 
ership.    In  consequence,  it  is  desirable,  if  a  person 
is  to  do  his  full  duty  as  a  citizen  and  maintain 
his  self-respect  as  a  man,  that  he  think  over  care- 
fully the  issues  of  the  day  that  separate  political 
parties. 

4.  But,  owing  to  the  tendency  of  men  to  follow 
custom  and  to  do  little  original  thinking,  a  person 
who  once  joins  a  political  party  usually  remains 
with  it,  even  tho  the  party  managers  have  changed 
the     principles    which    they    will    follow.     Every 
thoroly  self-respecting  person  should  endeavor  to 

122 


POLITICS 

think  out  the  issues  of  each  election  as  carefully 
as  possible  and  to  act  accordingly. 

5.  Is  it  a  desirable  thing  for  a  young  man,  be- 
fore he  becomes  a  voter,  to  identify  himself  with 
any  political  party  by  marching  in  party  proces- 
sions, assisting  in  bringing  voters  to  the  polls,  or 
otherwise  ?     Why  ? 

Is  there  any  danger  that  a  person,  by  holding 
his  judgment  on  party  questions  in  abeyance  un- 
til he  becomes  a  voter,  will  fall  into  the  habit  rf 
indecision  so  that  his  character  will  be  weakened? 

6.  What  are  the  advantages  and  disadvantages 
of  discussing  political  questions  in  school  debating 
clubs  or  classes? 

How  far  should  a  person  receive  favors  from 
party  managers ;  for  example,  his  expenses  in  go- 
ing home  to  vote ;  pay  for  working  at  the  polls, 
etc.?  Why? 

7.  Let  the  young  men  report  on  the  different 
political  organizations  in  the  neighborhood,  their 
leaders,  modes  of  work,  etc. 

Let  them  report  on  the  issues  of  any  election 
and  sec  whether,  in  their  judgment,  the  voters  are 
swayed  by  their  cool  study  of  these  issues  or  by 
prejudice. 


125 


NOTES 


124 


NOTE* 


125 


XIV 
SUCCESS 


"I  cannot  call  riches  better  than  the  baggage  of 
virtue."  *  *  *  *  "Of  great  riches  there  is  no  real 
use,  except  it  be  in  the  distribution;  the  rest  is  but 
conceit/'  BACON. 

"I  confess  that  increasing  years  bring  with  them 
an  increasing  respect  for  men  who  do  not  succeed 
in  life  as  those  words  are  commonly  used."  HILLARD, 
by  Mathews. 

"O    Keep   me   innocent!    Make   others   great." 

"To  know 

That  which  before  us  lies  in  daily  life 
Is   the   prime   wisdom."     MILTON. 

REFERENCES 

Emerson:  Success. 

Bacon :  Of   Riches. 

Mathews :  Getting  on  in  the  World,  Chap.  21. 

Psalms,   128. 

Matthew,  4:  1-11. 


128 


XIV 
SUCCESS 

1.  Most  young  men,  very  properly,  look  for 
success  in  life.     The  whole  course  of  their  train- 
ing and  activity  will  be  determined  by  the  view 
they  have  of  what  constitutes  success.     Inasmuch 
as  it  is  essential  in  a  civilized  community  for  a 
person,  in  order  to  live,  to  secure  an  income  suf- 
ficient to  pay  for  food  and  clothing  and  shelter 
and  the  other  necessities  of  life,  people  are  likely 
to  think  of  success  first  as  the  acquirement  of  a 
fortune,  larger  or  smaller. 

Can  the  ordinary  man  of  reasonable  health  and 
ability  be  considered  cither  a  good  citizen  or  a 
good  man  unless  he  fits  himself  for  acquiring  a 
good  livelihood? 

Is  there  any  principle  by  which  a  person  can 
determine  in  youth  the  income  that  will  be  suita- 
ble for  him  in  middle  age? 

Is  it  desirable  to  attempt  to  fix  a  limit  to  the 
fortune  which  a  man  should  strive  to  acquire? 

2.  Many  people  prize  influence  over  others  or 
influence  in  the  community  more  than  they  prize 
wealth,  or  they  value  wealth  on  account  of  the 
influence  which  it  gives.     Consider  the  men  in  the 
community    where    you    live    whose    opinions    are 
prized  and  who  are  men  of  chief  influence.    What 
arc  the  sources  of  their  influence?   Wealth?   Good 
fellowship?     Sound  judgment?     Good  character? 
Unselfishness  ? 

129 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

How  far  should  one  consciously  make  influence 
the  test  of  success  in  life? 

3.  Some  philosophers,  and  a  good  many  persons 
not  philosophers,  judging  by  their  teachings  and 
acts,  have  looked  upon  happiness  or  content  as  the 
chief  aim  in  life;  in  consequence  as  the  best  cri- 
terion of  success. 

Is  content  or  happiness  a  matter  primarily  of 
the  things  which  one  possesses,  of  the  work  that 
one  does,  of  one's  personal  disposition,  of  one's 
health? 

How  far  is  content  with  one's  lot  compatible 
with  progress? 

4.  The  idea  of  success  in  life  that  seems  to  be 
set  up  in  the  Bible  thru  the  life  and  teachings  of 
Jesus  is  service  to  other  people.     How  far  is  this 
consistent  with  wealth  getting?     With  extending 
one's  influence  in  the  community?     With  securing 
happiness  or  content? 


130 


NOTES 


NOTES 


132 


133 


XV 

RELIGION 


"  It  is  true,  that  a  little  philosophy  inclineth  man's 
mind  to  atheism;  but  depth  in  philosophy  bringeth 
men's  minds  about  to  religion."  BACON. 

"The  broad  ethics  of  Jesus  were  quickly  narrowed 
to  village  theologies,  which  preach  on  election  or 
favoritism." 

"The  way  to  judge  of  religion  is  by  doing  our 
duty.  Religion  is  rather  a  divine  life  than  a  divine 
knowledge.  In  heaven,  indeed,  we  must  first  see, 
and  then  love;  but  here,  on  earth,  we  must  first  love, 
and  love  will  open  our  eyes  as  well  as  our  hearts, 
and  we  shall  then  see,  and  perceive,  and  understand." 
SMILES. 

REFERENCES 
Bacon:  Of  Atheism. 

Of   Superstition. 
James,  ?. 


136 


XV 

RELIGION 

1.  By  a  man's  religion  is  meant  his  relationship 
with  God;  or  his  view  of  his  relationship  to  any 
power  that  he  believes  in  which  is   superhuman. 
The  nature  of  his  religion,  therefore,  is  likely  to 
depend  very  largely  upon  what  has  been  taught 
him  in  his  youth,  upon  the  degree  of  his  intelli- 
gence, upon  the  extent  of  his  knowledge  of  life, 
and  upon  his  surroundings.     A  man's  religion  is 
thus  likely  to  be  a  growth  changing  and  develop- 
ing with  increasing  years  and  experience. 

2.  To  a  good  many  people  religion  seems  to  be 
primarily  a  matter  of  thinking,  of  believing,  and 
not  a  matter  of  living.    But  the  men  who  have  had 
the  greatest  influence  in  history  along  religious 
lines  are  those  whose  views  of  their  relation  to  God 
have  affected  profoundly  their  lives,  and  have  de- 
termined what  they  should  do  in  life.     A  person's 
view  of  God  is,  of  course,  determined  largely  by 
his  idea  of  what  is  highest  and  best  in  life. 

Would  it  be  possible  for  an  untutored  savage 
to  take  the  same  view  of  God  as  a  highly  trained 
civilized  man? 

In  what  respects  would  the  views  of  God  of,  let 
us  say,  a  cannibal  differ  from  those  of  a  cultivated 
American,  even  tho  both  might  be  Christians? 

3.  If  a  person's  view  of  his  duty  to  God  affects 
his  daily  life,  is  it  likely  to  force  upon  him  many 
sacrifices?     If  so,  what  will  be  the  nature  of  such 

137 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

sacrifices?  Must  he  give  up  pleasures?  If  so, 
what  kinds? 

Must  he  give  up  certain  plans  of  making  a  live- 
lihood? If  so,  what  kinds  of  plans? 

Must  he  change  his  ambition  for  success  in  life? 
If  so,  how? 

What  comfort  or  active  enjoyments  come  or 
ought  to  come  from  one's  religious  belief? 

How  far  is  a  man's  religion  a  matter  of  this 
life?  How  far  is  it  intimately  connected  with  the 
life  to  come,  regardless  of  this  life? 

Are  religious  practices  primarily  acts  of  church 
worship  or  deeds  of  active  service  for  others? 
Upon  which  did  Jesus  lay  most  emphasis? 

What  acts  of  your  daily  life  have  a  religious 
character?  Studying?  Giving  to  the  poor? 
Playing  ball?  Helping  your  parents? 

4.  It  would  seem  as  if  the  relationship  of  a  man 
to  his  God  ought  to  be  a  source  of  enjoyment,  of 
satisfaction ;  and  yet  this  would  depend  very 
largely  upon  his  view  of  the  nature  of  his  God. 
In  many  cases  savages  have  looked  upon  their 
gods  as  avenging  deities  who  needed  to  be  propi- 
tiated or  bought,  and  their  chief  sentiment  toward 
their  gods  has  been  that  of  fear ;  so  that  little  or 
no  enjoyment  came  from  such  relationship,  unless 
they  thought  by  sacrifice  they  had  secured  safety. 

In  most  civilized  Christian  communities  the 
thought  of  the  nature  of  God  is  different.  Since 
Jesus  Christ  came  into  the  world  his  acts  and 
character  have  largely  made  the  ideals  of  good- 

138 


RELIGION 

* 

ness,  and  in  consequence  have  created  the  concep- 
tions of  God  that  are  found  in  the  minds  of 
Christian  peoples.  In  that  way  at  least  he  is  the 
revealer  of  God,  the  incarnation  of  Godhood. 
Unless  men  can  get  a  higher  conception  of  good- 
ness than  is  found  in  Jesus  Christ,  the  Christian 
religion  must  stand.  It  will  stand. 

With  the  life  of  Jesus  Christ  embodying  all  that 
is  best  and  noblest  in  our  ideals,  and  with  the 
teachings  of  Jesus  forming  the  foundation  of  the 
best  in  our  civilization  and  in  our  lives,  can  we  do 
better  than  to  make  this  life  and  these  teachings 
the  subject  of  regular  thoughtful  study? 


739 


NOTES 


TEACHERS'  SUPPLEMENT 

TO  LIFE  QUESTIONS  OF  SCHOOL 

BOYS 

JEREMIAH    W.     JENKS 


Many  teachers  who  have  used  the  Life  Ques- 
tions have  asked  for  a  supplementary  reading 
list  that  would  enable  them  with  a  large  class 
to  get  a  variety  of  views  and  of  suggestions 
from  reading.  Others  have  wished  to  use  the 
book  as  primarily  a  Bible  study  course,  and 
have  asked  especially  that  the  list  of  refer- 
ences to  the  Bible  be  lengthened,  in  order  that 
about  the  Bible  reading  as  the  central  topic 
other  related  topics  of  value  to  life  might  be 
grouped.  To  meet  the  wishes  of  these 
teachers  this  pamphlet  has  been  prepared. 


I 

RELATION  OF  THE  SCHOOL  TO 
LIFE 

MacCunn,   John :  Making  of   Character — Part 

II,  Chapter  IV,  School 

Oppenheim,  Nathan:  Mental  Growth  and  Con- 
trol- 
Chapter  I,  The  Growth  of  Character 
Chapter  XI,  Reasoning,  the  Guide 
Two    Recent    College    Graduates :    Not    in    the 
Curriculum — Chapter  XIII,  Relation  to 
Your  College 

Coe,  George  A. :  Education  in  Religion  and 
Morals— Chapter  I,  The  Place  of  Char- 
acter in  Education 

Dewey,  John :  The  School  and  Society — Chap- 
ter I,  The  School  and  Social  Progress 
I  Samuel:  Chapter  3 
Proverbs  :  Chapters  1 :5  ;  2 :10,  11 ;  4 :7 

II 

CUSTOM :  HABIT 

MacCunn,  John :  Making  of  Character — 

Part  I,  Chapter  IV,  Capacities,  Instincts, 
Desires 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

Part  i,  Chapter  VII,  Habit  and  its  Limi- 
tations 

Oppenheim,  Nathan :  Mental  Growth  and  Con- 
trol—Chapter VII,  The  Bonds  of  Habit 
Nordhoff,  Charles :  God  and  the  Future  Life — 
Chapter  III,  What  are  You? 
Chapter  IV,  You  are  an  Individual 
James,  William:   Principles     of    Psychology — 

Vol.  I,  Chapter  IV,  Habit 
Morgan,  G.  Campbell:  Life  Problems — Chapter 

VI,  Destiny 
Luke:  Chapter  4:16-32 
Proverbs :  Chapter  22 :6 


III 


SOCIETIES:    CLIQUES:   FRATERNITIES 

Oppenheim,  Nathan :  Mental  Growth  and  Con- 
trol- 
Chapter  IV,  What  Association  Means 
Chapter  IX,  Imagination,  the  Enlightener 

Hyde,  William  DeWitt :  Practical  Ethics- 
Chapter  XIV,  Fellow-men 
Chapter  XVII,  Friends 

Two  Recent  College  Graduates :  Not  in  the  Cur- 
riculum— 

Chapter  II,  Relations  to  Fellows 
Chapter  III,  Friends 


TEACHERS'  SUPPLEMENT 

Speer,  Robert  E :  A  Young  Man's  Questions — 

Chapter  VI,  His  Companions 
King,  Henry  Churchill:  The  Laws  of  Friend- 
ship— 

Chapter  XVIII,  Reverence  for  the  Person 
Chapter  XIX,  Expression 
Hall,    G.    Stanley:   Youth— Chapter   IX,    The 

Growth  of  Social  Ideals 

Coe,  George  A. :  Education  in  Religion  and 
Morals — Chapter  XVIII,  Societies  and 
Clubs 

MacCunn,  John:  The  Making  of  Character — 
Part  II,  Chapter  IV,  School  and 
Friendship 

Everybody's  Magazine,  August,  1909 
Proverbs:  Chapter  18:24 
Psalms :  Chapter  55  :12,  13 
Ruth:  Chapter  1:16,  17 

» 

IV 

INTOXICATING  LIQUORS  AND 
TOBACCO 

MacCunn,  John:  The  Making  of  Character — 
Part  IV,  Chapter  II,  Self-control 

Oppenheim,  Nathan:  Mental  Growth  and  Con- 
trol: Chapter  VII,  The  Bonds  of  Habit 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

Hyde,    William    DeWitt:    Practical    Ethics- 
Chapter  I,  Food  and  Drink 
Two  Recent  College  Graduates :    Not    in    the 
Curriculum — Chapter  XVII,  A  Word  as 
to  Drunkenness 

Morgan,  G.  Campbell:  Life  Problems— 
Chapter  II,  Environment 
Chapter  III,  Heredity 

Speer,  Robert  E. :  A  Young  Man's  Questions— 
Chapter  VII,   Shall   I   Drink? 
Chapter  VIII,  Shall  I  Smoke? 
Devine,  Edward  T. :  Misery  and  Its  Causes — 

Pages  109  ff.,  also  24-1 

Williams,  Henry  Smith:  Scientific  Solution  of 
the    Liquor    Problem — McClure's,    Feb- 
ruary, 1909 
Abbott,  Lyman :  The  Temple ;  The  Appetites — 

Outlook,  August  28,  1909 
Proverbs :  Chapters  20 :1 ;  23 :21,  9 :5      . 
Matthew :  Chapter  24 :49-51 
I  Corinthians :  Chapter  6 :10 


PROFANITY  AND  SLANG 

Two    Recent    College    Graduates:    Not    in    the 

Curriculum — 
Chapter  XI,  Conversation 

6 


TEACHERS'  SUPPLEMENT 

Chapter  XVIII,  Profanity 

Starbuck,  Edwin  Dillor,  in  California  Prize 
Essays :  Moral  Training  in  the  Public 
Schools — Essay  3 

Hall,  G.  Stanley:  Youth,  Its  Education,  Regi- 
men and  Hygiene — Chapter  X,  Intellec- 
tual Education  and  School  Work.  Pages 
252-258 

Ephesians:  Chapter  5:4 

Matthew:     Chapters     5:33-37;     12:36,     37; 
15:18,  19. 

Proverbs:  Chapter  10:19;  15:4;  18:6 
James :  Chapter  5  :12 


VI 


LYING 

Cabot,  Ella  Lyman :  Everyday  Ethics — 
Chapter  XIX,  Truth 

Chapter   XX,   Truth-speaking  as   a  Fine 
Art 

Oppenheim,  Nathan:  Mental  Growtli  and  Con- 
trol- 
Chapter  VII,  Bonds  of  Habit 
Chapter  XII,  Will  the  Controller 

Carlyle,  Thomas :  Heroes  and  Hero  Worship — 
Lecture  V,  The  Hero  as  Man  of  Letters 
Lecture  VI,  The  Hero  as  King 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

Hyde,  William  DeWitt :  Practical  Ethics — 
Chapter  VI,  Exchange 
Chapter  VII,  Knowledge 
Hall,   G.    Stanley:   Youth,   etc.— Chapter  VII, 

Faults,  Lies,  and  Crimes 
Philippians :  Chapter  4  :8 
Ephesians  :  Chapter  4  :25 
James:  Chapter  3:17 
Proverbs:  Chapter  24:28 
Psalms :.  Chapter  101 :7 

VII 

CHEATING  AND  GRAFT 

Carlyle,  Thomas :  Heroes  and  Hero  Worship — • 
Lecture  IV,  The  Hero  as  Priest 

Two  Recent  College  Graduates :  Not  in  the  Cur- 
riculum— Chapter  IX,  Use  of  Money 

Hadley,  Arthur  T. :  Standards  of  Public  Moral- 
ity— Chapter  IV,  The  Workings  of  our 
Political  Machinery 

Nordhoff ,  Charles :  Politics  for  Young  Ameri- 
cans— Chapter  IV,  Primary  and  Neces- 
sary Functions  of  Government 

MacCunn,  John :  The  Making  of  Character — 
Part  II,  Chapters  XI  and  XII,  Precept, 
Casuistry 

8 


TEACHERS'  SUPPLEMENT 

Hyde,    William    DeWitt:    Practical    Ethics- 
Chapter  VI,  Exchange 
Matthew:  Chapter  6 
Proverbs:  Chapters  20  :K;  28:8;  29:27 
Romans:  Chapter  13:7,  8 
Luke:  Chapter  16:12 
Ephesians :  Chapter  4 :28 

VIII 
GAMBLING  AND  BETTING 

DuBois,  Patterson :  The  Culture  of  Justice- 
Chapter  X,  Money  as  a  Means  of  Moral 
Training 

Two  Recent  College  Graduates :  Not  in  the  Cur- 
riculum— 

Chapter  VII,  Disposal  of  Time 
Chapter  IX,  Use  of  Money 

Speer,  Robert  E :  A  Young  Man's  Questions — 
Chapter  XI,  Is  it  Wrong  to  Bet? 
Chapter  XII,  His  Amusements 
Hyde,    William    DeWitt:    Practical    Ethics- 
Chapter  VI,  Exchange 
Matthew :  Chapter  5 :38-41 

9 


LITE  QUESTIONS 
IX 

THE  SEX  PROBLEM 

MacCunn,  John:  Making  of  Character — Part 
IV,  Chapter  II,  Self-Control 

Oppenheim,  Nathan :  Mental  Growth  and  Con- 
trol— Chapter  IX,  Imagination  the  En- 
lightener 

Two  Recent  College  Graduates :  Not  in  the  Cur- 
riculum— Chapter  XV,  Purity 

Speer,  Robert  E. :  A  Young  Man's  Questions — 
Chapter  XIII,  Men  and  Women 

Devine,  Edward  T. :  Misery  and  its  Causes — 
Pages  38-42 

Hall,  Winfield  S. :  From  Youth  to  Manhood — 
Chapte-s  II,  III,  IV 

Abbott,  Lyman :  The  Temple ;  The  Passions — 

Outlook,  September  4,  1909 
II  Timothy :  Chapter  2 :22 
Titus  :  Chapter  1 :15 
I  Corinthians :  Chapter  6 :9,  19,  20. 


ATTITUDE  TOWARD  WOUK 

Abbott,  Lyman:  The  Temple;  The  Ear— Out- 
look, July  17,  1909:  The  Hand,  Out- 
look, August  14,  1909 

10 


TEACHERS'  SUPPLEMENT 

Oppenheim,  Nathan:  Mental  Growth  and  Con- 
trol- 
Chapter  III,  The  Power  of  Attention 
Chapter  X,  The  Emotions  and  Their  Edu- 
cation 
Hyde,    William    DeWitt:    Practical    Ethics— 

Cha-ter  IV,  Work 

Two  Recent  College  Graduates :  Not  in  the  Cur- 
riculum— 

Chapter  I — How  to  Begin 
Chapter  IV— Study 
Chapter  V,  Athletics 

Nordhoff,  Charles :  God  and  the  Future  Life — • 
Chapter  V,  Necessity  of  a  Living 
Faith 

Morgan,   G.   Campbell:  Life  Problems — Chap- 
ter II,  Environment 
Devine,   Edward   T. :  Misery  and  its   Causes — 

Chapter  II,  Out  of  Ht-lth 

Stevenson,  Albert  Louis :  Underwood  —  Re- 
quiem; The  Celestial  Surgeon;  Mem- 
ories and  Portraits 

Royce,  Josiah:  The  Philosophy  of  Loyalty — 
Lecture  I,  Nature  and  Need  of  Loyalty, 
Parts  G  and  7 

Matthew :  Chapters  6 :24-34  ;  7 :21 
Luke :  Chapter  9 :62 
Romans:  Chapter  9:19-21 

I  Corinthians:  Chapter  12:4-17 

II  Corinthians  :  Chapter  10 :13 

U 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

XI 
THE   SELF-CENTERED  MAN 

Cabot,  Ella  Lyman :  Everyday  Ethics — Chapter 
XII,  Selfishness 

Oppenheim,  Nathan:  Mental  Growth  and  Con- 
trol— Chapter  X,  The  Emotions  and 
Their  Education  , 

Carlyle,  Thomas:  Heroes  and  Hero  Worship — 
Lecture  II.  The  Hero  as  Prophet 
Lecture  V,  The  Hero  as  Man  of  Letters 

Hyde,  William  DeWitt:  Practical  Ethics- 
Chapter  XIV,  Fellow-m'en 

Nordhoff,  Charles:  God  and  the  Future  Life- 
Chapter  XVI,  Conduct  of  Life 
Chapter  XVII,  Conduct  of  Life 

Morgan,  G.  Campbell:  Life  Problems — Chapter 
I,  Self 

Jordan,  David  Starr :  Care  and  Culture  of  Men 
— Chapter  XI,  Science  in  the  High 
School 

Royce,  Josiah:  The  Philosophy  of  Loyalty — 
Lecture  II,  Individualism,  Parts  4  and 
5 

King,  Henry  Churchill:  The  Laws  of  Friend- 
ship— Chapter  XIII,  The  Giving  of 
the  Self 


TEACHERS'  SUPPLEMENT 

Matthew:  Chapters  5:29,  30;  16:24;  19:23, 
24 ;  20 :26-28 

I  Corinthians:  Chapter  9:17-27 
Galatians:  Chapter  5:24 

XII 
SOCIAL  SERVICE  IN  THE  COMMUNITY 

Jordan,  David  Starr:  Care  and  Culture  of  Men 
— Chapter  V,  The  Scholar  in  the  Com- 
munity 

DuBois,  Patterson:  The  Culture  of  Justice — 
Last  three  pages  of  Chapter  IV 

Hyde,  William  DeWitt :  Practical  Ethics- 
Chapter  XVI,  Wrong  Doers 
Chapter  XIX,  The  State 
Chapter  XX,  Society 

Two  Recent  College  Graduates :  Not  in  the  Cur- 
riculum— Chapter  II,  Relations  to  Fel- 
lows 

Ruskin,  John:  Sesame  and  Lilies — Lecture  III, 
Paragraph  135,  Mystery  of  Life  and  its 
Arts 

Morgan,  G.  Campbell:  Life  Problems — Chapter 
V,  Influence 

Speer,  Robert  E. :  A  Young  Man's  Questions — 
Chapter  XV,  A  Young  Man  in  his  Work 
in  the  World 

13 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

Rauschenbusch,  Walter:  Christianity  and  the 
Social  Crisis — Chapter  II,  The  Social 
Aims  of  Jesus 

Devine,  Edward  T. :  Misery  and  Its  Causes — 
Chapter  V 
Chapter  VI 

Matthew:  Chapter  7:12;  25:34-40 
I  Corinthians:  Chapters  8:12,  13;  10 
Luke :  Chapter  6 :33 
Galatians  :  Chapter  6 :10 

XIII 

POLITICS 

Hadley,  Arthur  T. :  Standards  of  Public  Moral- 
ity—Chapter V,  The  Political  Duties  of' 
the  Citizen 

Jenks,  Jeremiah  W. :  Principles  of  Politics — 
Chapter  II,  Political  Motives 

Jenks,    Jeremiah     W. :     Citizenship     and     the 

Schools — 

Chapter  I,  Training  for  Citizenship 
Chapter  III,  The  Making  of  Citizens 

Shaw,  Albert :  Political  Problems  of  American 
Development — Chapter  I,  Nature  and 
Meaning  of  Our  Political  Life 

Leacock,  Stephen :  Elements  of  Political  Science 
—Page  20,  The  Ideal  State 

14 


TEACHERS'  SUPPLEMENT 

Nordhoff,  Charles :  Politics  for  Young  Ameri- 
cans 

Royce,  Josiah:  The  Philosophy  of  Loyalty — • 
Lecture  V,  Some  American  Problems  in 
Their  Relation  to  Loyalty,  Parts  5,  6,  7 
Romans:  Chapter  13 

I  Chronicles:  Chapters  17,  22,  29 

II  Chronicles:  Chapters  10,  33 
I  Kings :  Chapters  1,  2,  8 

XIV 
SUCCESS 

MacCunn,  John :  Making  of  Character — Part 
III,  Chapter  III,  Growth  of  the  Indi- 
vidual Ideal 

Hyde,  William  DeWitt:  Practical  Ethics- 
Chapter  X,  Fortune 

Two  Recent  College  Graduates :  Not  in  the  Cur- 
riculum— Chapter  VIII,  How  to  be 
Popular 

Jordan,  David  Starr:  Care  and  Culture  of  Men 
— Chapter  XIII,  The  Procession  of  Life 

King,   Henry  Churchill:  The  Laws  of  Friend- 
ship— Chapter  I,  Friendship  the   Prob- 
lem of  Life 
Matthew:    Chapter    6:19-21;    6:33;    7:21; 

16:26 

15 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

Mark :  Chapter  10 :28-31 
Revelations:  Chapter  14:13 
Proverbs:  Chapter  22:29 

XV 

RELIGION 

Carlyle,  Thomas :  Heroes  and  Hero  Worship — 
Lecture  1,  The  Hero  as  Divinity 

Hyde,  William  DeWitt:  Practical  Ethics- 
Chapter  XXII,  God 

Jordan,  David  Starr:  Care  and  Culture  of  Men 
—Chapter  XV,  The  Social  Order 

Two  Recent  College  Graduates :  Not  in  the  Cur- 
riculum— 

Chapter  XIV,  Practical  Christianity 
Chapter  XVI,  Dealing  with  Doubt 

Hyde,  William .  DeWitt :  Self  Measurement — 
Pages  70  ff. 

Devine,  Edward  T. :  Misery  and  its  Causes — 
Pages  251  ff. 

Coe,  George  A. :  Religion  of  a  Mature  Mind — 
Chapters  X  and  XIII,  Education  in  Re- 
ligion and  Morals,  Chapters  XII-XV 

Royce,  Josiah:  The  Philosophy  of  Loyalty — 
Lecture  VIII,  Loyalty  and  Religion, 
Parts  5  and  6 

16 


TEACHERS'  SUPPLEMENT 

Speer,  Robert  E. :  A  Young  Man's  Questions- 
Chapter  II,  Why  a  Young  Man  Should 
be  a  Christian 

Matthew :  Chapters  7  :21 ;  25 :40 

Ephesians :  Chapter  5  ;19 

James  :  1 :26,  27 

Proverbs :  29 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Abbott,  Lyman:  The  Temple.      The  Macmillan 

Co. 
Cabot,  Ella  Lyman:  Everyday  Ethics.      Henry 

Holt  &  Co. 
California  Prize  Essays:  Moral  Training  in  the 

Public  Schools. 

Carlyle,  Thomas :  Heroes  and  Hero  Worship. 
Devine,  Edward  T. :  Misery  and  Its  Causes.   The 

Macmillan  Co. 
Dewey,  John :   The   School  and  Society.     The 

University  of  Chicago  Press. 
DuBois,    Patterson :    The    Culture    of    Justice. 

Dodd,  Mead  &  Co. 

Hadley,  Arthur  T. :  Standards  of  Public  Moral- 
ity.    The  Macmillan  Co. 
Hall,  G.  Stanley.     Youth,  etc.     D.  Appleton  & 

Co. 
Hall,  Winfield  S. :  From  Youth  to  Manhood. 

Y.  M.  C.  A.  Press. 

17 


LIFE  QUESTIONS 

Hyde,     William     DeWitt:     Practical     Ethics. 
Henry  Holt  &  Co. 

James,     William:     Principles     of     Psychology. 
Henry  Holt  &  Co. 

Jenks,    Jeremiah    W. :    Principles    of    Politics. 
Columbia  University  Press. 

Jenks,     Jeremiah     W. :     Citizenship     and     the 
Schools.     Henry  Holt  &  Co. 

Jordan,  David  Starr :  Care  and  Culture  of  Men. 
Whitaker  &  Ray  Co. 

King,  Henry  C. :  The  Laws  of  Friendship.     The 
Macmillan  Co. 

Leacock,  Stephen :  Elements  of  Political  Science. 
Houghton,  Miffiin  &  Co. 

MacCunn,  John :  Making  of  Character.      The 
Macmillan  Co. 

Moral  Training  in  the  Public  Schools.     Califor- 
nia Prize  Essays.     Ginn  &  Co. 

Morgan,  G.  Campbell :  Life  Problems.     Fleming 
H.  Revell  Co. 

Nordhoff,   Charles:   God  and  the  Future  Life. 
Harper  Bros. 

Nordhoff,  Charles.      Politics  for  Young  Ameri- 
cans.    Harper  Bros. 

Oppenheim,  Nathan:  Mental  Growth  and  Con- 
trol.    The  Macmillan  Co. 

F.auschenbusch,   Walter:   Christianity   and   the 
Social  Crisis.      The  Macmillan  Co. 

18 


TEACHERS'  SUPPLEMENT 

Royce,  Josiah:  The  Philosophy  of  Loyalty. 
The  Macmillan  Co. 

Ruskin,  John :  Sesame  and  Lilies. 

Shaw,  Albert:  Political  Problems  of  American. 
Development.  Columbia  University  Press. 

Speer,  Robert  E. :  A  Young  Man's  Questions. 
Fleming  H.  Revell  Co. 

Two  Recent  College  Graduates :  Not  in  the  Cur- 
riculum. Fleming  H.  Revell  Co. 


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